"My apologies. I just found out. Anger clouded my judgment," Frank said, shaking his head.
He then removed his captain's hat and bowed, "Miss Half-Elf, on behalf of the White Gull, I welcome you. From now on, I assure you that, in accordance with the laws of the Provincial Alliance, you will be treated as an equal. Miss!"
"That's more like it," Seasoft nodded in satisfaction.
However, what Seasoft didn't notice was the subtle tremor in Frank's right hand, concealed beneath his captain's hat.
A clear sign of his overwhelming anxiety.
Bairon rubbed his forehead in exasperation, "Frank, Seasoft was lured onto the ship by Stephen. He wanted her to pose as an Elf, causing disruptions on board, with the intent to have the ship anchored at sea for two days."
"But his initial plan fell through because of my unexpected appearance. Eventually, he had to intervene personally to halt the White Gull."
"Do you know why Seasoft was tricked aboard?"
Frank shook his head, a sense of foreboding growing within him.
"That man told me that the White Gull housed a Divine Artifact, one that our family has guarded for generations and had recently been stolen," Seasoft stated.
"He repeatedly provided bits of evidence, each time demanding a task from me in return."
"Pretending to be a risqué theater actress! Posing as a prostitute! Masquerading as a thief!"
"He's the most despicable human I've ever encountered!"
Merely mentioning Stephen made Seasoft grind her teeth in anger.
Frank's complexion deteriorated further, "Miss, Lord, please excuse me for a moment."
Without another word, Frank dashed toward the captain's quarters.
"What's he going to do?" Seasoft asked in confusion.
"If I'm not mistaken," Bairon replied, "your words might have made him realize a terrifying possibility. He's lost something."
"Poor Frank. I truly understand how he feels," Seasoft commented sympathetically.
Bairon gazed intently at Seasoft.
After hesitating for a moment, he finally revealed, "The item he lost is the Divine Artifact you're looking for."
"What?!"
Seasoft exclaimed in shock.
At that very moment, a thunderous roar of fury echoed from the captain's quarters.
"Stephen! Find that damned Stephen!"
Frank burst out of his room, his face contorted with rage, his eyes bloodshot and filled with veins.
Observing the unhinged Frank, Bairon laid out his theory, "The Divine Artifact from your family was stolen by Frank. Perhaps Stephen was involved in the theft, perhaps not, but that detail isn't critical."
"What matters is that Stephen knew the White Gull carried an Elf clan's Legacy Treasure. Moreover, he lured you onto the ship, likely with intentions of using you and that Legacy Treasure for some purpose."
Seasoft inquired, "What did he want to do?"
"Offer a sacrifice to a dark god," Bairon responded.
Seasoft's mouth dropped slightly.
"Seasoft, please look after Evelyn for me. If anyone approaches, kill them," Bairon instructed before leaving the deck.
Upon reaching his own quarters, Bairon locked the door and channeled his Mindergy into the Ring of the Dark Tower.
A faint sensation of dizziness washed over him.
When Bairon reopened his eyes, he found himself within the realm of the Dark Tower.
"I need some counsel," Bairon declared gravely.
Old John responded, "On how to lift the Windless Expanse Spell Field?"
"No need. I can handle that myself," Bairon clarified. "What I wish to know is: what kind of sacrificial ritual requires a half-Elf and an Elf clan's Legacy Treasure?"
"Oh, and by the way, that half-Elf referred to the Legacy Treasure as a Divine Artifact," he added for clarity.
There was a silence that enveloped the realm of the Dark Tower.
Bairon's brow furrowed.
The silence could indicate two possibilities: either there was no such ritual, or there was one, but it wasn't something Intermediate Magi should inquire about.
"The terms 'Legacy Treasure' and 'Divine Artifact' refer to the same thing. The difference lies in whether it's named by humans or Elves," Charlotte elucidated.
"Don't be overly anxious; the situation might not be as grave as you fear," Old John attempted to reassure.
"The world's laws constrains some of the more terrifying beings, just as they bind us."
Constraints?
Bairon's gaze shifted to the looming presence of the Dark Tower.
Were the Dark Tower's constraints on Old John and Charlotte a part of these world laws?
Pulling his thoughts back to the matter at hand, he asked, "So, theoretically, as long as we don't enter the domain of this dark god, we're safe from being offered as a sacrifice?"
"In theory, yes," Old John affirmed.
"Thank you. I must leave now," Bairon announced, and with that, he vanished from the spot.
The realm of the Dark Tower returned to its silent state.
A few minutes later, Old John posed a question, "Your senses are keener than mine. Do you sense some old acquaintances drawing near?"
"No," Charlotte replied with an air of cold indifference.
...
Upon leaving the realm of the Dark Tower, Bairon once again stepped onto the ship's deck.
The scene was chaotic, with people scurrying about in every direction.
"Frank has lost it," Seasoft said. "He's ordered everyone aboard to search for Stephen. Anyone caught slacking off is threatened to be thrown overboard to feed the fish."
Of course, Seasoft and Evelyn were exempted. Frank hadn't entirely lost his mind, after all.
"Have we found anything?" Bairon asked, his expression unflappable.
Given Old John's assurance that no dark gods inhabited these waters, he felt the situation wasn't as dire as it seemed.
Bairon surmised that Stephen's antics were primarily aimed at inciting fear and chaos aboard the White Gull.
He was stalling for time.
While Bairon couldn't discern what Stephen was waiting for, he didn't particularly care either.
He just wanted the White Gull to set sail swiftly.
Finding Stephen would untangle the web of complications.
"I even found a bottle of rum tucked away in a corner, seemingly forgotten for over twenty years, but still no sign of Stephen. That scoundrel seems to have vanished into thin air," Frank exclaimed in frustration.
Seasoft speculated, "Perhaps he's on the move, just like I was before."
"No, Miss. I've posted guards at every critical junction. No one can move between sections without being noticed," Frank replied.
There's a difference between a search initiated by the captain and a search conducted against his wishes.
When Frank was certain that Stephen wasn't on board, it was definite that he wasn't there.
Bairon looked down, his eyes fixed on the deck beneath his feet, as if an idea suddenly struck him.
"Have you had anyone check under the ship?" he asked.
Frank nodded, "Of course, the dark lower holds were the primary areas we searched."
Bairon stomped his foot for emphasis, "I mean, the actual underside of the ship – the part submerged in the sea."
"What do you mean…" Frank's mind seemed to stall for a split second, then realization washed over him, mixing shock with elation, "You're suggesting Stephen is clinging to the outside?"
Stephen, submerged in seawater, using the angle of the ship's hull to stay out of sight from those aboard – it was a very plausible scenario.
Bairon nodded, "Let's look. He couldn't just vanish into thin air, and even if he knew some sort of spatial magic, he couldn't sustain it."
Using spatial spells consecutively would drain an immense amount of Mindergy.
A novice magus would be drained after just a few attempts.
Frank bellowed, "First Mate! Get people to stand at the edge and look down. I want a person every meter. We're going to surround the ship!"
Minutes later, sailors and passengers alike formed a ring around the White Gull. On Frank's whistle, they all simultaneously peered over the edge.
Several more minutes passed.
A sailor pointed excitedly below, shouting, "I see his head!"
Frank rushed over, pushed the sailor aside, and peered down.
Indeed, a dripping wet head with golden hair emerged from the water.
"Stephen!" Frank roared.
Floating in the sea, Stephen raised his head and flashed a smirk at Frank, "Hey, Frank, care to join me for a dip? It's quite hot out here."
"First Mate, grab him!" Frank ordered.
With sharp daggers clenched between their teeth, the First Mate and two robust sailors leapt into the water.
Before long, the sea was tainted with a deep shade of crimson.
Stephen's head still bobbed on the surface, a relaxed smile playing on his lips.
Beside him floated the bodies of the First Mate and the two sailors.
Frank had either forgotten or deliberately neglected to warn the First Mate and sailors.
Stephen was a magus.
"Everyone, dive in! Drain his Mindergy. Whoever captures him will be richly rewarded!" Frank called out to the remaining crew.
However, they all took a collective step back.
The chief navigator crossed his weapons over his chest, cautioning, "Frank, the White Gull is your ship. It's your turn to go down."
"Yes, Captain. The First Mate has already sacrificed himself. It's your time now."
The other sailors nodded in agreement.