A ship sailed smoothly by the edge of the Mist Sea, not daring to voyage deep into its confines.
The ship was the latest product of the Xadora kingdom, painted in white and red. It had a propeller that helped the ship move easily, abandoning sails—pieces of cloth tied to the mast of a ship.
The funnel of the ship expelled engine exhaust, releasing hazardous substances into the environment.
From the ship's size, it could easily house over five dozen individuals, with other lifeless materials.
On the deck of the ship, individuals dressed in blue shirts and trousers moved about, discussing different matters. They seemed relaxed and cheerful, unconcerned about their destination and what it might bring to them.
In the baseline of the ship, a male dressed in casual clothing, a blue t-shirt, and black jeans, sat idly on a rocking chair, observing the outside through the baseline window with his deep ocean-blue eyes.
From time to time, he would gently caress his brown hair as if in deep thoughts, his deep ocean-blue eyes gaining a strange hue.
Klink
The sound of metal colliding with the ship floor brought him back to reality, as he twisted his neck to get a better view of the situation.
"M-my apologies, Lord Marcus."
A female dressed in simple maid attire stuttered, her hand trembling as she struggled to pick up the fallen metal plate with great difficulty.
The male, Marcus, eyes lost focus as he seemed to look in the maidservant's direction but not at her. It was like he could see the horizon from the ship's baseline, which was literally impossible due to the walls that hindered his eyesight.
"No problem," Marcus said after a while. "Clean it up and take your leave."
The maid who didn't dare to leave without Marcus' permission, hastily bowed her head, about to exit the baseline when she heard Marcus' serene voice again.
"Do call Alastros… Tell him I wish to speak with him."
"Y-yes, My Lord."
After taking Marcus' order, she ran out of the baseline, her footsteps quieting down with the passage of time.
'Sigh… Something feels off—I don't just know what it is…' Marcus sighed as he thought of the vague feeling of danger that plagued him. His eyes slowly became unfocused again as he continued his seemingly aimless stare through the baseline window.
After some time, a huge male with bulging muscles and tattoos over his exposed skin, walked into the baseline, bending to easily pass through the baseline door.
He wore a singlet with baggy trousers, creating an aura around him, different from the other passengers on the ship.
"You called for me, Prince Marcus," The huge male said, giving Marcus a subtle bow.
Marcus only nodded to his bow before saying, "Do you have any means to perform a divination?"
Alastros almost roared in laughter at the seemingly quiet prince's words.
'Getting cold feet, ain't you, Young Prince…?' Alastros scoffed, giving Marcus a look of contempt.
"No, My Lord. We Burians don't have great taste in that aspect.
Though, if you had used the Locuria dynasty coast, I'm sure finding a divination expert won't be much of a problem." Alastros stated, not hiding the contempt in his tone.
'He is clearly insulting us again—both my kingdom, Xadora, and the Locuria dynasty…
These Bura fellows are such petty-minded individuals… If I had known, I would have convinced them to use the western coast. Still, the eastern coast is more convenient.' Marcus sighed, not dwelling on Alastros' words.
Alastros was a chief in the Bura civilization, a Level 8 Ranker. So he could not do anything awful, or else, risk the alliance's unity.
Marcus had personally pleaded to take over this mission. He wished to explore the world and learn the ropes of battle—whether frontal attacks or sneak attacks. It didn't matter what form it came in, what mattered was the experience it brought.
'I know you are a prince, Marcus. But calm down—don't let him get in your head—he is just a side character…' Marcus calmed his impulse to cave Alastros forehead with his fist, surfacing a tranquil expression on the outside.
"Alright. But we would have to increase the level of cautiousness in this mission," Marcus used a finger to tap continuously on the rectangular table before him. "As you can see, we didn't bring battle aircraft to keep things stealthy."
"Don't fret over small matters, Lord Marcus. We have everything under control," Alastros spread his hand out wide to express his confidence.
'Does that include drilling the holes of those harlots…? Why the hell did the alliance agree to this in the first place?!'
Marcus couldn't help but wonder why the alliance accepted the proposal to take females to serve their carnal needs. It's not as if they were going to stay on the mission for a long time.
'Ha, I can only blame their low evaluation on Kynburgh's prowess. They only see the fortress as a place filled with baboons… after all, why would they want to fight against three states… a foolish move on their part.'
Thinking about Kynburgh's officials' short-sightedness, Marcus could not help but sigh.
Still, he was determined to learn about war, so he was not going to back down, no matter how innocent the enemy was. After all, strength was only important—the victor is always the right, while the loser… goes to hell.
Slowly, Marcus stood up from his seat, gesturing that Alastros should excuse himself.
'He smells of females and booze… what a disgusting fellow…'
Marcus could not help but evaluate the individual he was working with, his eyes losing their brilliant luster.
Pinching his glabella, he took a walk across the room. 'Mom was right—"Burians are one of the nastiest people you could ever encounter in life. If you can bear their attitude, then you will surely become a great sociable person or a disgusting fellow like them".'
Recalling his mom's disgusted but stern voice, Marcus felt a wave of warmth wash over his entirety, bringing a smile to his lips and returning the brilliant luster his deep ocean-blue eyes had lost.
'I'll make you proud, Mom… this is my promise…'
Marcus Fedore, prince of Xadora, felt a sudden flow of motivation in his bloodstream. He was currently pumping with the energy to emerge victorious.