Upon returning to the first-class section, Bairon first visited Donovan's room.
The man was still deep in slumber, tormented by nightmares.
Noting that the ropes binding him remained untouched, Bairon chose not to disturb him.
Though the White Gull had successfully escaped the Windless Expanse, reaching San Sorus would still require at least two days.
This estimate didn't account for the necessary rest and recuperation needed by the captain and the crew.
There was plenty of time.
Bairon was content to wait for Donovan to awaken.
"His Mindergy has been severely overdrawn," Seasoft explained the reason for Donovan's prolonged unconsciousness.
A thought occurred to Bairon, "Seasoft, can a regular magus utilize an Elf's Divine Artifact to generate a spell field?"
"Absolutely not. At the very least, one needs to have half-Elf lineage, much like myself." Seasoft responded, a hint of pride evident in her voice.
"Then how did he," Bairon pointed to Donovan, "use that Divine Artifact to create the Windless Expanse Spell Field?"
Seasoft's brows furrowed in thought. "This... I'm not certain."
If Donovan managed to harness it, then it was certainly feasible.
Seasoft's denial probably stemmed from her lack of awareness in this area.
Recognizing that this touched upon a gap in Seasoft's knowledge, Bairon commented, "Well, once Donovan awakens, we'll know."
"Perhaps you could bring out the Divine Artifact for a test?"
Hope gleamed in Seasoft's eyes.
Ever since she boarded the White Gull, she hadn't set eyes on the Divine Artifact.
Seasoft was eager, if only to catch a glimpse.
But the Divine Artifact was gone...
Faced with this, Bairon could only awkwardly reply, "That's indeed a good suggestion, but surely you wouldn't want the White Gull to venture into the Windless Expanse again?"
"Fair point, the risk would indeed be too high," Seasoft conceded with a nod.
"Come with me. We need to have a proper discussion about the possession of the Legacy Treasure," Bairon said, leading Seasoft away from Donovan's room.
Soon after, Bairon ushered Seasoft into Dave Padorn's quarters.
"Why are we discussing this here?" Seasoft asked warily.
Bairon replied casually, "This is the finest room on the ship, making it the perfect place for negotiations."
Dave Padorn's room was the most luxurious one aboard the White Gull, even surpassing the grandeur of Frank's captain's quarters.
Yet, something in Seasoft's expression hinted at a misinterpretation, a tenseness clouding her face.
With gritted teeth, she declared, "Tell me what you want from me in exchange for the return of the Divine Artifact."
"You don't need to do anything, just wait," Bairon calmly stated.
Seasoft, puzzled, asked, "Wait for what?"
"Wait for me to retrieve another lost Divine Artifact of the Elf race and then return it to you," Bairon explained.
The Dark Tower had already consumed the green leaf artifact, and there was no chance it would relinquish it.
Fortunately, with the fall of the Elf Kingdom, many Legacy Treasures from the Elf treasury had been lost to the world.
Bairon's plan was to find a new Legacy Treasure someday in the future and offer it to Seasoft as compensation.
Of course, this would inevitably take some time.
Seasoft suddenly had an ominous feeling.
"What do you mean by 'compensate'?"
"It's just as it sounds. I've lost the green leaf Divine Artifact. It can't return to the real world," Bairon explained.
"That's impossible!" Seasoft shrieked.
Bairon massaged his throbbing ears, "Miss, please, calm down."
"I can't be calm! You must return the Divine Artifact to me. It's crucial to me!" Seasoft exclaimed passionately.
Taking a deep breath, Bairon inquired, "Do you need it to resolve a particular issue? If so, speak up. Perhaps I can assist."
He didn't want to harm a somewhat naive half-Elf.
"What's the point of telling you? You're not a half-Elf!" Tears welled up in Seasoft's eyes.
Something related to her Elf heritage?
Bairon pondered if someone else might be of assistance.
"Maybe I can help. Please, share your concern."
"There's nothing to discuss! Return the Divine Artifact to me!" Seasoft demanded, extending her hand.
"It's impossible!" Bairon stated coldly, "It's gone. Even if you kill me, you can't retrieve it."
Both held their ground steadfastly.
Bairon's expression grew somber, sensing the turbulent Mindergy within Seasoft.
Just then, the sound of frantic footsteps echoed from the corridor.
"Magus sir, pirates... there are pirates! Captain Frank requests your presence," a passenger announced, panting heavily.
Pirates?
Bairon blinked.
Given that the islands to the east served as the pirate's stronghold, encountering them at sea wasn't an unusual occurrence.
And precisely because it was so common, merchant ships had standard procedures for dealing with such situations.
There was an unspoken agreement in these waters.
The urgency in Frank's summons meant this "understanding" wasn't holding up.
Bairon stood, "Give it some thought."
Seasoft bowed her head, lost in thought.
Without another glance, Bairon turned and exited the room.
...
The deck was bustling with sailors and passengers, their faces reflecting even more terror than when the White Gull had fallen into the Windless Expanse.
"Mr. Stewart, we've got quite the trouble trailing behind us," Frank approached, his hands heavily bandaged and his expression grim.
Bairon made his way to the stern.
Those in his path instinctively stepped aside, granting him a clear view.
There, about ten kilometers away, loomed a vessel.
Its entire body, even its sails, was painted in the darkest black.
However, a stark white skull emblem was emblazoned across the black sails.
"These kind of pirate ships are commonly referred to as 'The Death Ship'. The captain of such a vessel is typically a dark magus."
"Dark magi rarely take to the seas personally, which means we can't bribe them," Frank explained.
The pirate ship harboring a dark magus sailed at a speed nearly twice as fast as the White Gull.
They were rapidly closing the distance between them.
A hint of intrigue flashed in Bairon's eyes.
Magi possessed sharper senses than most, and he had spotted something of interest aboard the opposing ship much earlier.
As the gap between the two vessels narrowed, Frank and the others began to notice as well.
Suspended from the pirate ship's mast was a human corpse.
The body appeared as though its flesh had been drained, leaving a dried husk that swayed dramatically with each gust of sea wind.
"Magus... is that the body of young Master Padorn?" Frank's voice trembled.
The corpse, deformed as it was, wore recognizable clothing.
It was none other than Dave Padorn, the one who had abandoned the White Gull in the Windless Expanse and covertly taken a lifeboat for himself!
"You might want to think about how you'll explain this to the Padorn family of San Sorus," Bairon remarked with a smirk.
"Isn't the premise that I can survive and escape from the dark magus's clutches?" Frank retorted with a bitter smile. "Wait, are you saying you can defeat him?"
"I suppose so," Bairon whispered.
During his time guarding the relics in the Shadeveil Mountains, Bairon had on average slain a double-digit number of dark magi every month.
However, many had also escaped him.
Now, facing a dark magus on the open sea, Bairon felt a tinge of uncertainty.
"Don't joke around! If you could capture Donovan alive, surely a mere dark magus won't be much of a problem?" Frank said with a wry smile.
"It's not just one," Bairon grinned, tapping the ship's rail.
Following Bairon's gaze, Frank's eyes landed on the pirate ship.
He finally noticed two slender, tall figures clad in black magus robes, standing at the bow, eyeing the White Gull.
"Two dark magi?!" Frank exclaimed in horror.
"Indeed," Bairon affirmed, licking his lips.
This time, fortune awaits!
"Lord Stewart, should I also call upon Donovan and Miss Seasoft?" Frank asked, his face a shade of pale.
To avoid falling into the hands of the dark magi, he was even willing to summon all magi aboard the White Gull, including Donovan, who had nearly caused their demise before.
"Captain, have your wits been frightened out of you?" Bairon remarked with a cold smirk. "Have you forgotten the letter Donovan left behind?"
Frank looked at Bairon in horror. "Are you suggesting that these dark magi... are the dark gods summoned by Donovan?"
Bairon subtly shook his head.
Things weren't that straightforward.
If Donovan had summoned a dark magus, he would have straightforwardly declared himself as such.
In the open sea, the dread induced by a dark magus far exceeded that of any so-called dark god.
However, Donovan had explicitly mentioned in his letter that his intended sacrifice was to the "Sea God."
What the term "Sea God" implied remained unclear to Bairon, but it couldn't possibly be an impersonation by a dark magus.
Donovan, a sharp-witted individual who managed to deduce the Rustwater Count's schemes against him in San Sorus based solely on memories, could distinguish between genuine and fake.
So, what exactly was this Sea God?
Bairon's gaze shifted to the two dark magi standing aboard the pirate ship, a playful grin touching his lips.
The answer would soon reveal itself.