Embracing Magic - E.M Chapter 79 (Part 2)
Rodin slung two heavy backpacks over his shoulders, their weight increased by the books inside. It would be tough to carry them all the way to the harbor, but fortunately, Lanse had carriages for transport.
Rodin took a carriage waiting right in front of the inn, loading his bags onto it as well. Larry and Bianca’s sullen expressions brightened as they climbed aboard; they seemed to enjoy the ride.
Unfortunately, the trip wasn’t long, and they soon arrived at their destination: the docks.
As they disembarked and unloaded their luggage, Larry and Bianca expressed their disappointment.
“That was fun.”
“Right? Larry, did you have fun too?”
“Yeah.”
“Let’s go. The ship will be fun too.”
Mercenaries were standing guard at the entrance to the ship. All of them wore stern expressions and stood with impeccable posture.
‘They seem highly skilled.’
There were dozens of mercenaries, strong enough to rival even Bron’s group. Among them, some looked even stronger than Bron.
‘Well, I don’t know much about swordsmanship.’
Unlike his keen sensitivity to magic, Rodin wasn’t very attuned to the flow of aura.
When his abilities had been evaluated, Rodin’s aura aptitude had been rated at 12 points. He was far superior to the average person but not on par with trained knights.
His sensitivity to aura followed the same pattern—above average, but not impressive compared to knights.
“I’m here to stay in a cabin.”
“Are you a passenger? May I see your tickets?”
“Here you go.”
Rodin handed over four tickets while pulling Larry and Bianca closer to indicate that they were together.
“Four people confirmed. Please follow me.”
The crew member had counted them as four passengers, prioritizing the number of tickets over the actual number of people.
Rodin followed him down two flights of stairs to the lower deck, where they were shown to a four-person cabin.
‘Hmm, this is nicer than I expected.’
Rodin had imagined a cramped space with bunk beds squeezed together, typical of a ship where space was limited and efficiency was prioritized. However, the actual cabin was much more spacious than expected. While the four beds were positioned on either side of the room as he had imagined, there was also enough room in the center for the four of them to sit comfortably.
“This is your cabin. The crew is always available on the first deck and at the main cabin, so feel free to approach them if you need anything. Breakfast is not provided, but lunch will be served tomorrow. Meal times are 7 a.m., noon, and 5 p.m. If you wish to eat outside of these times, you can order food separately at the first-deck restaurant.”
“Understood. Thank you.”
The crew member’s explanation was quick and precise, without any hesitation or uncertainty—clearly a seasoned professional.
After the crew member left, Rodin placed his heavy backpack on the floor. It landed with a thud, the weight of the books inside making it extra heavy.
“Rodin, the ship is huge! Can we go look around?”
“Don’t go too far and make sure to rest. In two hours, it’s bedtime, so don’t be late.”
“Yes! Larry, let’s go explore!”
“Alright.”
Rodin subtly infused a trace of mana into Larry and Bianca, enough to track them as long as they didn’t stray too far.
After sending the two off, Rodin printed a mana-gathering magic circle onto the floor and closed his eyes to listen to the Frouval’s illusionary lecture.
—
On the ship’s topmost deck, in a lounge adjacent to the captain’s quarters, three people had gathered. Two of them were men in their forties, with sturdy, well-trained bodies and strong, determined expressions. The third was a woman in her forties, also well-trained but with a gentler face.
“So, it ended in failure.”
“Sigh, I assume Chief Grem is dead?”
“Judging by the signs of the ambush, it’s hard to believe he’s still alive. Although, since we haven’t found a body, it’s not entirely impossible.”
Jefferson, who had brought up the possibility, didn’t sound too hopeful. Even he wasn’t expecting Chief Grem to have survived.
“Hmm, this ship is quite nice. Even though we haven’t set sail yet, there’s hardly any rocking.”
“That’s because it’s a large vessel. By the way, I imagine Dominic Hedges, the merchant leader, will be quite disappointed.”
“It’s not our fault, is it? We didn’t lose in a fight; by the time we arrived, Chief Grem had already gone missing.”
The ship they were on was operated by the Hedges Merchant Guild, a trade ship that also served as a passenger vessel, ferrying goods and people between the western continent and the central continent.
The three gathered here weren’t just hired mercenaries. They weren’t on the payroll of the Hedges Guild either. These three were guest knights of the guild.
Normally, they simply stayed at the guild’s main base, consuming resources. However, in times of crisis, they were called upon to protect the guild, and they were highly valued for their strength.
“What exactly is in that box? Why would Dominic Hedges specifically request us to handle it?”
“No idea. That’s why it’s such a valuable treasure.”
“What do you mean by that? How can something be a treasure if we don’t even know what it is?”
“Apparently, it was something that one of the ancestors of the Hedges family stumbled upon. However, no one has been able to open it. They even asked an archmage, who failed to open it. All they learned was that forcing it open would be dangerous, even for an archmage.”
Eighteen years ago, the Hedges Merchant Guild had lost the box, a family heirloom, and had used every resource they had to try to track it down, but to no avail.
Then, about six months ago, rumors surfaced that the box had appeared at an auction house on the western continent. After verifying the information, the guild confirmed that the box was indeed their lost family treasure.
The guild had quickly ordered Chief Grem, who was leading a caravan in the western continent at the time, to recover the box. Not long after, they received a magical communication confirming the retrieval of the item.
That’s when they dispatched Darren, Jefferson, and Sylvia—the guild’s top enforcers—to ensure the box was safely returned. The decision to send their most powerful knights showed how much the guild valued the box.
“Whoa, it’s dangerous enough to threaten an archmage? That’s one perilous box.”
“That’s why we were sent.”
“But if someone killed Chief Grem and took the box, does that mean they have a way to open it?”
“We don’t know. What’s clear is that the group who attacked Chief Grem is no small organization. They mobilized at least a hundred men.”
These three were guest knights of the Hedges Guild, but they had previously served as high-ranking knights for a noble estate. Not even the head of the Hedges Guild could easily command them.
They were formidable, but so were the attackers. The site where Chief Grem had been ambushed showed signs that it was a well-organized group.
“There were traces of magic, too.”
“We may not know much about magic, but from the surrounding evidence, it was clear some pretty strong spells were used.”
“It was a group with a mage and over a hundred swordsmen. The Hedges Guild will have to be cautious.”
Despite voicing the need for caution, none of the three seemed particularly concerned. After all, they were all 5th Tier knights—strong enough that they were just shy of becoming 6th Tier knights. No matter what situation arose, they were confident they could handle it. There was nothing for them to fear.