Chapter 79

### The Sword Emperor Reincarnated in the Sword Clan (79)

Gallano was registered as an official member of the 'Aquamarine' adventure party at a speed that even surprised the people of 'Bermuda'.

His skills and experience were among the best in the B-rank, and if his evaluation had been just a little higher, he would have been an A-rank. The fact that he suddenly joined Aquamarine, and that his disheveled appearance had become neat, caused a stir among the people who saw him.

It couldn't be helped.

His middle-aged face, with his unkempt hair tidied up and his beard shaved off, bore a strong resemblance to his brother, Dentsuo.

―'Dentsuo of the Storm'! What a nostalgic name.

―Aquamarine was truly remarkable back then. They explored all the 'Fissures' in the Fifth Sea and eventually sealed 'Charybdis'.

―Is this the blood of Njord? Captain Francis is not someone to be underestimated.

The atmosphere that had implicitly tabooed Aquamarine and its golden age began to ease, and the adventurers of 'Bermuda' started to reminisce about the past, which had not even been a decade ago, while raising their glasses.

―When you think about it, there was no adventure party more active than Aquamarine. No, there still isn't. Most of the A-rank adventurers are just making money safely from small 'Fissures'. What kind of adventure or exploration is that?

―Oh! You're going a bit too far. Be careful in 'Bermuda'. You might get into trouble with those guys.

―They hardly ever come down from the Aiolos Hall, so do I really need to be that careful? I'm not saying anything wrong!

The adventurers' anger and public opinion, which had been building up from the bottom for a long time, were now converging around Aquamarine, which had once fallen to the depths.

Legends who had been the best adventure party in Atlantis, without the stain of trampling on or ignoring others.

During their active period, there was no discrimination among adventurers based on rank in the Hall. This was because Captain Njord believed that the duty and virtue of an adventurer was 'freedom'.

From the veterans who could recall that era to the young adventurers who grew up listening to those legendary stories.

Everyone was looking forward to the revival of Aquamarine with one heart.

* * *

After completing Gallano's registration, Captain Francis returned to Aquamarine and declared in front of everyone:

"From today, Mr. Gallano is our new Aquamarine comrade! With 14 years of experience, I believe there's a lot we can learn from him as adventurers! Everyone, give him a warm welcome!"

"Yay! Welcome!"

"Yay."

"Hmm."

Only Vivian clapped her hands enthusiastically and cheered, while her sister Niniyan opened her mouth once and then closed it expressionlessly.

Leonard clapped a few times to avoid embarrassing Francis and then stopped.

Marian was the only one who greeted Gallano, whom she hadn't seen in a long time.

"Gallano, do you remember me?"

"Of course. I never thought the wild child from back then would grow up to be such a strong and principled woman."

Recalling the old memories, Marian couldn't hide her embarrassed face.

If Njord hadn't persuaded her back then, she might have run wild, unaware of the dangers of the world, and met a tragic end.

'Wild Dog'.

Some might know the nickname and fear her, keeping their distance, but the truly strong wouldn't even snort. Not being able to distinguish who to bite and who not to is a disgrace, not a pride.

"Your brother spoke about you."

Marian's ears perked up at Dentsuo's words.

"A stubborn one who doesn't know how to compromise, but once he sets his mind, he's the most reliable. The fact that he protected Francis until the end proves your brother was right."

"Thank you, that's too kind of you."

"Even though I'm a senior adventurer, on this ship, you are my senior. Guide me without hesitation."

Gallano used his experience and connections to respect the hierarchy without overstepping, acknowledging Marian's contributions and accepting his position.

Marian, who had been wary of him, could now breathe a sigh of relief at his courteous attitude.

Leonard, who had been watching them, nodded silently.

'Even though he has no experience in an adventure party, he knows how to behave like a veteran. Perhaps he also respects Marian's contributions to protecting Francis while he was down?'

In the end, everything worked out well.

As Leonard was thinking about how to train Niniyan, Marian, and Gallano, Francis approached him.

"That makes five of us. I didn't expect you to motivate Uncle Gallano so well, always exceeding my expectations?"

"Because I'm a genius."

"Ahahaha! You're saying that yourself?"

"Actually, it's my ability, and I find it more annoying to be modest and say it's just luck or something."

"Ah, that's true."

Leonard, with his vast experience and insight, and Francis, with her wisdom and intuition, can read people well.

This makes them more averse to hypocrites than others.

Even if it was a sincere statement, it was the same. The other person wasn't mocking them for lack of luck.

"Leonard, who should I recruit next?"

"I don't know who, but I think we need a mage."

"Oh?"

Francis, with wide eyes, said:

"Did you learn that from Sister Esther? You're right! Even though a high-level wind spirit mage is impressive, a mage can adapt to any situation. For an A-rank adventure party, a 5th-tier mage is essential."

Leonard, in agreement, closed and opened his eyes.

Mage (魔法師).

Having lived in the Atlantis Magic Tower for several weeks and experienced hundreds of spells, he knew firsthand the true nature of magic, from elemental magic based on the five elements to spells that mock the laws of physics, akin to the magic of old legends.

Mages who begin to delve into higher concepts from the 5th tier can transcend space, accelerate time, and create phenomena that defy physical laws.

Even Esther, who had just reached the 5th tier, and Jack Russell, who showed spells at the 7th tier, were beyond comprehension.

'I need to study concepts I don't understand, like gravity. Otherwise, I might not even notice if someone cuts off my nose right in front of me.'

If only someone like Esther or Jack Russell, with whom he could speak openly, would join.

That was Leonard's only wish.

As if reading his mind, Francis smiled smugly.

"Since Leonard brought three people, it would be embarrassing for the captain to bring none. So, I invited a 6th-tier mage!"

"Hmm."

A 6th-tier mage, who would receive elder-level treatment in the Magic Tower and be among the top in 'Bermuda'.

Not only Esther, but also other mages?

Leonard was inwardly impressed and waited for her to continue.

However.

"Hmm?"

Francis, who was mentally connected to the ship, Aquamarine, tilted her head.

Someone was requesting permission to board the ship.

The identity of anyone who had been on Aquamarine before could be immediately determined. One was Esther, and the other was unknown.

'If she came with Sister Esther, she can't be an enemy... Who is it?'

Francis, unable to hide her puzzled expression, went up to the deck with the other members.

And.

"..."

Francis's eyes and mouth widened when she saw Esther and Jack Russell. Her mind was working so fast that she had already guessed their purpose.

Esther, seeing her expression, smiled bitterly.

"Sorry for the sudden visit, Fran. My teacher suddenly said he wanted to visit Aquamarine with me."

As soon as she finished speaking, Jack Russell stepped forward and met Francis's eyes.

The Chief Elder of the Atlantis Magic Tower.

A 7th-tier Great Mage.

From his skills to his position, he was someone Aquamarine couldn't yet match. Francis knew how dangerous and powerful the man in front of her was, but she didn't look away.

"Are you Njord's daughter? I've seen your face before, but this is the first time we've spoken."

"I've heard a lot about you from Sister Esther, Chief Elder Jack Russell."

"Whatever she told you probably wasn't much. Call me Russell. I had some connections with your father and knew Heine well."

Thinking their connection had been severed after his wayward student returned, he didn't expect to meet them again.

Russell, giving a brief nod to Leonard, continued.

"Do you have any idea why my student and I are here?"

"Yes, but I don't know the reason yet."

Francis, suppressing her inner joy, was eager to know the reason, her eyes sparkling.

Jack Russell, pushing up his glasses as a habit, answered.

"There are two main reasons."

One was that the materials needed from the 'Fissures' were either too biased or in absolute shortage.

It was true that A-rank adventure parties were only targeting easy and simple 'Fissures' these days. As a result, 'Fissures' with high difficulty and low byproduct prices were rarely explored, sometimes not even once in several months.

Aquamarine, not following the same path, would be able to gather the necessary materials more easily and quickly.

"...If the Magic Tower is saying this, the current situation must be more serious than I thought."

Francis's expression darkened upon hearing this.

"Well, it is. The information that 'Bermuda' is hiding is leaking out to this extent, so it wouldn't be surprising if there have already been several signs of magical calamity in Aiolos."

Jack Russell, agreeing, mentioned the second reason.

It was Leonard.

Francis, who looked at Leonard with a "It's you again?" expression, saw him avoid her gaze.

"At first, I thought of sending only my incompetent student, but he would surely boast to me about his success. Besides, the research team was struggling without him, so I decided to come along for a change of pace."

"Oh! You want to join as a guest member?"

"Formal membership would be impractical for me. It would be burdensome for you too. You might end up with the label of being associated with the Magic Tower."

Unlike formal members, who must share the fate of the adventure party until their contract ends, guest members have a relatively free position.

The captain can't give orders arbitrarily, and they can leave the ship and the party at any time.

Therefore, accepting a guest member always requires caution.

Since the other party is often superior in skill and status, a wrong choice could make you a mere puppet. You might end up treating them like a master and getting nothing in return.

Despite this, Francis had no hesitation.

"Sure! I'll take good care of you, Russell!"

"...We haven't even discussed the contract terms yet?"

Jack Russell, looking bewildered, asked.

"This is a rare opportunity to bring a 7th-tier Great Mage on board. Providing a few conveniences is no big deal!"

"My demands might be quite excessive, you know?"

"According to what Sister Esther told me, that's unlikely!"

Francis's immediate answer made Russell turn to her.

"Student, go inside the ship and wait for me. I need to know what you've been saying around."

"Ugh!"

Francis laughed at their bickering.

It was a delightful surprise.

Then.

"...Excuse me...?"

A small, thin voice, as if trying to hide in a mouse hole, drifted in.

"Hmm?"

"What is it?"

"Who is it?"

The Aquamarine members turned in that direction, but the person, who had only poked their head out, quickly hid behind a pillar again.

Only Francis, recognizing the person, waved and called out.

"Come on up! You're not in the wrong place!"

Hearing her voice, the shadow finally emerged from behind the pillar and cautiously stepped onto the deck.

Fine, shimmering golden hair.

Her eyes, trembling like a deer's, gave her a delicate and frail appearance. The only things revealing her as a mage were her plain robe and the staff she clutched in both hands.

Francis, grabbing the hand of the woman who kept stepping back, brought her to the front and said:

"This is the 6th-tier mage I invited, Ms. Loralai!"

Someone reacted to the name before anyone else.

"...Loralai, you say?"

Jack Russell, the 7th-tier Great Mage, immediately recalled where he had heard the name.

His eyes widened as he asked:

"Could you be Heine's successor?"

The rest of the Aquamarine members, like Russell, also widened their eyes in surprise.