Not only were Bairon and Captain Frank there to bid farewell, but also Dave Padorn, and the group of greedy men still intent on finding the Elf.
Their eyes were intently fixed on every disembarking passenger, especially the ladies.
Some of the commoners wanting to disembark were even detained by them for a closer inspection.
The deck quickly descended into chaos.
Bairon approached, his gaze sweeping across.
The greedy men immediately looked nervous.
They hadn't forgotten how two passengers had met their end.
Frank stepped up as well, saying, "Without permission from the Civic Hall, you can't arbitrarily inspect passengers. You're violating the laws of the Provincial Alliance!"
On the high seas, the Provincial Alliance might have no jurisdiction, but this was Sail Town's port, the territory of the Provincial Alliance.
Dave Padorn smirked, "I've lost 102 gold coins. They've been hired by me to search for these coins. That's not against the Alliance's rules, is it?"
Everyone knew they were searching for the "Elf", but it was true that Dave Padorn had indeed lost 102 gold coins.
Frank was left speechless.
"Let them disembark!" Bairon turned his head to look at Frank.
Everyone paused.
"Who?" Frank reflexively asked, then quickly realized Bairon was referring to the group of greedy individuals in front of them, including Dave Padorn.
"You can't kick us off the ship, we paid our fare!" a greedy man shouted.
The rest of the men quickly chimed in.
For a moment, the deck was filled with the unified shouts of over a hundred voices.
Beads of sweat formed unconsciously on Frank's forehead.
Dave Padorn chuckled, "If their fares aren't enough, I can cover the rest for them."
Paying for over a hundred passengers' fares at once would make even the young master of the Padorn family feel a pinch in his purse.
Yet, if it meant making Bairon uncomfortable, Dave Padorn was more than willing to foot the bill.
"I seem to recall someone mentioning that out on the open sea, neither the laws of the Alliance nor the Kingdom apply?" Bairon asked with a smirk.
Stephen raised his hand, "I said that!"
Bairon grinned, revealing his white teeth, "Then let's have the White Gull set sail immediately. Once we're on the open sea, I'll happily throw anyone I don't fancy into the waters to feed the fish!"
"Of course, you could try to overwhelm me with sheer numbers and drain my Mindergy, then defeat me. But before that, I could take a good number of you down," Bairon said with a cold smirk.
A bone-chilling dread settled in everyone's minds.
The desire for wealth was instantly washed away by a sense of impending doom.
Bairon wasn't some priceless Elf; on the contrary, he was a formidable human magus.
"You don't need to leave, I'll protect you all!" Dave Padorn turned, appealing to the greedy men.
Bairon sneered, "That's a good joke. You couldn't even protect your own guards."
"Captain, I want off this ship!" One of the greedy men shouted.
Others echoed the sentiment.
Driven by greed, they were, after all, a disorganized mob.
At the slightest hint of risk, they were quick to scatter.
In the end, the majority of those who had participated in the search requested passage from Captain Frank.
Some, reluctant to part with their fare, stealthily slipped back into the steerage, blending in once more with the common passengers.
But they could only pray, hoping Bairon wouldn't come after them once the White Gull sailed into open waters.
The number of passengers preparing to disembark suddenly surged, forming a lengthy line.
But none of this mattered to Bairon anymore.
After bidding farewell to Margaret and Anna, as well as the three unfortunate theater troupe members, Bairon glanced at the departing passengers and, taking Evelyn with him, left the deck area.
"Dave, aren't you disembarking?" Stephen suddenly materialized behind Dave Padorn.
Dave could almost feel the warmth of Stephen's breath on the back of his ear.
"Damn it, back off! Of course, I'm not leaving the ship!" A startled Dave rubbed his ear and left grumbling.
Frank looked at Stephen with a peculiar expression.
After a brief silence, he inquired, "Stephen, are you disembarking?"
The White Gull was now in a precarious position.
Anyone with a hint of discernment could sense the looming danger.
Steerage passengers were reluctant to disembark because of the fare they'd paid, but Stephen shouldn't be of that mindset.
Or, one might say, he was the kind of person who valued life over gold coins.
However, Stephen shook his head, "Of course not. I've just had a flood of inspiration and I need to jot it down immediately."
...
Back in the first-class section.
Bairon pushed the door open.
Seasoft was no longer in the room, but a previously closed window stood ajar.
Bairon walked over to shut the window.
"Will you continue sleeping or read for a bit?" Bairon inquired.
"Sleep," Evelyn rubbed her eyes.
"Then go ahead, I have some things to do."
Bairon approached the table, picked up the carving knife, and continued working on the walnut.
Once Evelyn had settled back into sleep, Bairon set the knife down, flexing his slightly aching right hand, and vanished from the room.
In the next instant, Bairon found himself in the world of the Dark Tower.
"I encountered a woman on the ship who might be a half-Elf," Bairon voiced.
"Half-Elf?"
Old John's voice echoed high above, tinged with surprise and puzzlement.
Bairon quickly relayed his observations regarding Seasoft, as well as his speculations.
Since Old John and Charlotte had both claimed that there were no Elves on the White Gull, Bairon had initially believed the "Elf incident" to be a ridiculous event stirred up by the foolish Dave Padorn.
But after suspecting Seasoft's identity, intuition told Bairon that things weren't as straightforward.
"It does sound like she might be a half-Elf, one that's sheltered within the Elf tribe and hasn't had contact with the human world," Old John commented.
Bairon asked with confusion, "Can't you confirm it?"
"Being a half-Elf doesn't simply mean having blood that's half Elf and half human," Old John explained. "Elves possess a very distinct aura, but a half-Elf wouldn't inherit even a trace of it."
"A distinct aura?" Bairon pondered deeply.
"That delves into the origin of the Elf race. I suggest you seek that knowledge once you've become a Master Magus, fully realizing your potential as a magus," Old John advised.
Bairon nodded in agreement.
He possessed a strong ability to restrain his desires.
This self-control was one of the reasons Charlotte and Old John were willing to mentor him.
In the world of magi, only a fraction of those who faltered on their path did so because of unforeseen catastrophes.
The majority faltered because they could not control their desires, resorting to soul spells and falling into the dark allure of becoming a Dark Magus.
"Bairon, when she needs assistance, lend her a hand," Charlotte suddenly interjected.
Surprise flickered in Bairon's eyes, but he quickly responded, "Of course, ma'am."
...
The blazing sun hung high in the sky, with the White Gull sailing solitarily across the vast ocean.
Emerging from the world of the Dark Tower, Bairon returned to his cabin.
At that moment, Evelyn was napping, occasionally touching her nose in her sleep.
A day had passed since the White Gull left Sail Town.
In another day, they would arrive at the bustling port city of San Sorus, the capital of the Provincial Alliance and the crown jewel of the Röntgen Continent.
Bairon returned to his table, picking up the carving knife and walnut.
Though he had brought more walnuts on board than eggs, thanks to his relentless efforts, only a few remained untouched.
Bairon selected the best-looking one, planning to carve a cute little animal on it as a gift for Evelyn.
Additionally, he pondered on how to stealthily obtain the Elf Legacy Treasure from Captain Frank's quarters.
Lost in his thoughts, and just as he was about to make his incision, a sudden scream pierced the air.
It was Dave Padorn.
Since Padorn had screamed once before, the sound was familiar to Bairon.
But unlike the previous time, which had been a cry of fear and rage, this shout was infused with excitement.
"I've caught her! I've caught the Elf!" Dave paced the cabin, yelling with unbridled enthusiasm.
Soon enough, everyone aboard the White Gull had heard.
Young Master Dave Padorn had captured an Elf.
Bairon furrowed his brow, set down his carving knife, and stepped out of his room.
Frank, pipe clenched between his teeth and eyes aflame with anger, strode into the first-class cabin corridor.
Chewing so vigorously on his pipe stem caused Frank's cheeks to bulge out noticeably.
Trailing him was a group of curious passengers from the lower decks and sailors.
Their eyes lacked the previous greed, now replaced with sheer curiosity.
"Good afternoon, Lord Stewart."
As Frank entered, Bairon emerged from his room.
The two met, with Frank offering a brief greeting before inquiring, "Are you aware of what's transpired?"
"It seems Young Master Dave Padorn has captured an Elf," Bairon replied with a neutral tone.
He then glanced briefly at a tightly shut door.