Wizard: I Add Points and Hunt Monsters

As he watched her walk away, Wei’en subconsciously rubbed his nose. ’Was that the smell of rust?’

[Due to the effects of the Partner Contract, your injuries have been healed. Evaluation: A nosebleed counts as an injury? Reward: Survival Points +1.]

Wei’en: ”...”

’Fuck, can’t I get a break from you?’

...

...

「Near a small island off the southern part of the West Coast of the Eastern Continent.」

A Five-Masted Sailing Ship dropped anchor. An intricate design was emblazoned on the enormous, central white sail—a city with three tall towers. The spires were shaped like black Gemstones, and golden markings adorned the city walls.

”We’re stopping for three hours! Restock supplies as quickly as you can, especially water and food!”

”Etruscan, get your men and swab the decks! You throw parties all day long, and now the whole place reeks of booze...”

”Neville, keep a sharp lookout. See if any unlucky ships pass by so we can restock our dark beer...”

At the ship’s bow, Black Jack leaned against the figurehead’s tentacles, watching the bustling pirates on deck. He grinned widely and said, ”So, what do you think of my lovely crew?”

Next to him, Yuan rested his hands on the ship’s rail and gazed calmly at the distant sea, not saying a word.

”Hey, come on. I already told you, once we see the boss, Isabella, she can solve your problem. So why do you still look like that? Plague Doctor?”

”My problem is nothing.”

Jack froze for a moment. He thought of the kind, golden-haired girl with the brilliant smile he had met back in Caster. After a few seconds of silence, he said, ”The Authority’s transformation will take time. You still have a chance.”

”How long? A day, a month, or a year?”

Yuan’s voice turned cold. He recalled that the Kali he knew didn’t like to eat things like Deep Sea Sharks, had never been outside the high walls of the city-state, and certainly had never seen him concoct his plagues...

”But you can’t fix this, can you?” Jack knew platitudes were useless, so he spoke bluntly. ”That is the Authority of Dawn, a Guardian of the gods. Since the Authority chose her, this is her destiny!”

”There’s always a way!”

Yuan’s gaze turned icy. ”If even someone like Isabella can become the Sea Emperor, what’s impossible?”

”Let’s talk about your daughter, but leave the boss out of it, alright?”

”’Boss’?” Yuan sneered. ”Jack, it seems you’ve forgotten your time on the White Rose. Perhaps I should remind you...”

”Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Black Jack quickly raised his hands in surrender. ”Don’t start. Since you came aboard, you’ve already challenged me to a duel dozens of times. You can’t just take it out on me every time you get angry, can you?”

”You haven’t been using your full strength. Not even half of it.”

”Neither have you. Those plagues are still your old masterpieces from before you left. And those two ’pets’ of yours, the Skeleton Warrior and the Six-eyed Demon Spider... I’m guessing you’ve only contracted them in the last two years, right?”

Yuan turned to look at Black Jack, his gaze making it seem as if he were seeing him for the first time. ”You’ve matured a lot.”

Black Jack shrugged. ”People change. After you left the White Rose, a lot of others jumped ship, too. It was just me, Higgins, and a few new recruits left to hold it all together...”

”If we hadn’t been lucky enough to join the Black Pearl, we’d probably have had to look for Captain Anjelo in the next world.”

’Chrom Anjelo... Captain...’

Hearing the name, Yuan was lost in a daze. Memories surfaced of his younger days, when he had just boarded the White Rose. He recalled a very charismatic captain who always faced every challenge with a smile.

”Sorry.”

”Don’t apologize. That all happened a long time ago.”

”My apology is for Captain Anjelo. For not looking after the White Rose for him, and for not disciplining you.”

Black Jack: ”...”

’If he weren’t worried about losing face in front of his men, he would have pulled out his forbidden item and dueled Yuan for real.’

Yuan’s mood soured even further. He sighed softly. ”How much longer until we get there?”

”We have to stop at Avad Island first. After that, it’s about another month of sailing.”

’So, three more months...’ Yuan calculated. He was anxious, but he knew this was already the fastest they could travel.

”About that,” Black Jack said, pulling out two small kegs and setting them on the rail. ”Come on, don’t dwell on it. Let’s have a drink!”

”Giving up on dueling and resorting to drinking now?”

”My odds are better this way...”

Just then, a young pirate in a linen tunic ran over.

”First Officer! We just received a message from Lady Lodilia!”

”Oh? From Lodilia?” Black Jack put down the keg. Seeing Yuan’s confused expression, he casually explained, ”Lodilia. She’s a Prophet and a Warrior—a grumpy old woman. When you ask the boss for help, she’s going to be your biggest obstacle.”

”A Prophet? And a Warrior?”

”She prefers to call herself a Warrior. When she gets upset, she starts swinging a giant iron hammer around... Let me see.” Black Jack unrolled the parchment and scanned it, his brow furrowing slightly.

Yuan noticed his expression, and his heart skipped a beat. ’It couldn’t be...’

”One, Henrik has been found, presumed dead. Two, beware the Alanjia, suspicious movements expected. Three, return as soon as possible...”

”Dammit,” Black Jack muttered, turning to Yuan. ”Sorry, but it looks like our arrival is going to be delayed. Dammit, Henrik!”

”Henrik? He wasn’t dead yet?”

Black Jack kept cursing. ”That bastard Henrik always loved picking on the weak. I warned him long ago not to go running around, that he’d wind up dead at sea one of these days.”

”Looks like he’s really done for this time! That old hag Lodilia has a cursed tongue. She said ’presumed,’ but I know it means Henrik is dead for sure.”