Chapter 80

Reincarnated as a Sword Emperor in the Sword Saint Family (80)

During the peak of the Aquamarine Adventure Team, the great mage known as 'Wave Catcher' Haine was a very famous figure. It was inevitable. His achievement of single-handedly stopping the tsunami caused by the Sea Dragon King Leviathan, a demon-level Sea Serpent that appeared once in the Third Sea, was the reason. If the Eurus forward base had been destroyed, not only the C-rank adventure teams operating in that area, but also the B-rank adventure teams operating in the Fourth Sea, Zephyrus, would have been greatly demoralized. Without a place for supplies and maintenance, the risk of adventuring would have increased by several levels. Haine's reputation for resolving this crisis spread throughout the Atlantis Maritime Union the very next day. It was around this time that the captain of Aquamarine, Njord, came to visit. "...I don't know what they talked about, but after that, Haine began to operate as a member of Aquamarine." "He was a really interesting person!" Francis responded to his explanation. "His tone was incredibly harsh, but he was the first to take care of new members. Even Uncle Dentsuo called him 'sister' in private, so that says it all!" "He became even more violent when he drank. Even when he was drunk, his magic skills were still top-notch, and I heard that Aquamarine had paid him thousands of gold over the years." "Ah, that's true. He paid it all back with his own money, though." Laurelei listened to the two of them quietly, then asked like a turtle sticking its head out of its shell. "Um, um. Is this a friend of Master...?" "You might not recognize my face, but it's rare not to know my name. I am Jack Russell, the Chief Elder of the Atlantis Magic Tower. Haine and I conducted magic research on the Great Ocean Current Circulation in the past." "Ah! I'm, I'm sorry. I don't get out much...! I'm really sorry!" Laurelei bowed her head and waist several times, even biting her tongue, her face turning bright red. She was the complete opposite of her master, Haine. "Your talent and effort to reach the 6th Tier at this age are impressive, but are you really Haine's successor? You don't resemble that mountain bandit at all." "That's true! Haine was worried about that part, so he told me to avoid external activities until I reached the 6th Tier!" Russell nodded in understanding. "That makes sense. At the 6th Tier, you'd receive good treatment wherever you go, and no one would dare to underestimate you based on your appearance." Even a mercenary or adventurer without proper training could reach the 4th Tier on their own. With luck and talent, they might even reach the 5th Tier. However, the 6th Tier was a different story. To reach the 7th Tier, the realm of the Great Mage, one step away from the 7th Tier, required not only innate talent and bone-crushing effort but also excellent guidance. Even an A-rank adventure team would often accept a 6th Tier mage without an interview. "So, you must have reached the 6th Tier not long ago? Judging by the fact that you've just been brought here." "Correct!" Francis said, drawing a circle in response to Jack Russell's words. "That's why I brought you quickly before someone else could snatch you away! It won't be bad for Laurelei to join Aquamarine." "R-Really...?" "Of course! You'll take over Haine's position and become the second Wave Catcher Laurelei! I'll give you a nice cabin too!" Laurelei's blurry eyes sparkled at those words. To her, Master Haine was like a parent, and taking over the legacy of someone she revered was not without a profound impact on her sensitive heart. Perhaps that was why Laurelei, who was usually so hesitant, spoke with an unusually steady voice. "...I'll join too, Aquamarine." "Wow! That's a great decision!" Francis cheered, having just recruited three mages. "5th Tier! 6th Tier! 7th Tier! Even though more than half were brought in by Leonard, it's still great! Considering the potential, we might even recruit more, but for a small-scale 〈Rift〉, we should be fine with our current state!" In fact, the recruitment of Jack Russell alone had already surpassed the minimum standard for an A-rank team. The 'Santa Maria' adventure team, led by Christopher Conrad, couldn't have stood a chance against him alone, let alone with the addition of a 5th Tier and a 6th Tier mage. The archer of the 'One-Eyed' faction, Nynian. The High Wind Spirit Mage, Vivian. The spear expert of the 'Whale Hunter,' Galano. The 5th Tier mage, Esther. The 6th Tier mage, Laurelei. The 7th Tier Great Mage, Jack Russell. And the genius swordsman Leonard, who defeated Christopher Conrad in a duel. "Excluding Marian, who is responsible for my protection, that's seven people. We can easily navigate the outer regions of the Fifth Sea, if not the deeper areas." Francis's calculations were swift. She clapped her hands a few times to gather the attention of the members and declared boldly. "I'll apply for the adventure team ranking evaluation! Right now!" Less than 30 minutes later, an officer from 〈Bermuda〉 was dispatched to Aquamarine. * * * The aftermath of the duel led to the dismissal of the officer Carmine, and the person who replaced him was a man named Benjamin. His career wasn't particularly special. In his youth, he barely made it to the A-rank as an adventurer, and after retiring, his main job was to mediate conflicts and contract issues among adventurers in 〈Bermuda〉. Yet, he suddenly found himself in an officer position. "Damn." Benjamin was not at all pleased with this rapid promotion. Wasn't this personnel move suspicious? He wasn't particularly skilled in factional struggles or political maneuvers, but using the connections and networks he had built in 〈Bermuda〉, it was easy to figure out the circumstances. The Chief Elder of the Magic Tower, Jack Russell, not only defended Aquamarine, which the 〈Union Council〉 considered a thorn in their side, but also removed an officer who tried to hinder their return. In this situation, a misstep could lead to significant disfavor from either the 〈Union Council〉 or the Magic Tower. 'So, they assigned me to handle Aquamarine and threw me into Carmine's vacant position.' He couldn't refuse even if he found out. He couldn't escape the retaliatory measures from 〈Bermuda〉, even if he fled from the 〈Union Council〉 or the Magic Tower. That was why Benjamin, with a face like he had eaten something foul, was walking the docks in broad daylight. 'Aquamarine, a name I haven't heard in a long time.' A name that no adventurer in 〈Bermuda〉, or anyone who had been active in the Atlantis Maritime Union for a long time, could forget. Even the 'Wild Hunt,' which was promoted to S-rank after their disappearance, never claimed to surpass Aquamarine. In the era when the sea was several times more savage and chaotic, they were the vanguard who wrote countless legends. Benjamin was also an adventurer back then. Even though he could barely look at their backs, living in the same era as them was a brilliant and proud time. '...Yeah, my dreams disappeared the day Aquamarine fell. I realized that there are no heroes or adventures that triumph until the end in this sea.' He knew the movements and postures of the 〈Union Council〉 and 〈Bermuda〉 were suspicious, but he lacked the strength and courage to investigate. It had been eight years since that day. Fragments of a dream he thought he had lost long ago resurfaced. "Aquamarine..." The ship in front of Benjamin, white and smooth like marble, seemed to have jumped out of his memories. It appeared white at the dock but turned a transparent sky blue like seawater when it cut through the waves. The ship's body, undulating like waves, was so beautiful that old bards used to wait at the docks just to catch a glimpse of their return for inspiration. 'Human hearts are truly fickle.' The appearance and beauty of the ship were the same as before, but people no longer rave about Aquamarine's beauty. Even Benjamin had forgotten. The first time he saw Aquamarine dock, he was so moved that the image stayed in his retina even when he closed his eyes at home. The feeling resurfaced, and he muttered without realizing it. "—You are still beautiful." Embarrassed by his aged and unattractive appearance after eight years, Benjamin instinctively closed his eyes tightly. At that moment, a voice replied to his mutterings. "Right? I admire it every time I see it." "Huh?!" Startled, Benjamin looked up at the source of the voice. Her jet-black, beautiful hair was fluttering in the sea breeze. Her eyes were as blue and transparent as Aquamarine, sparkling as if peering into his soul. Francis Ler von Oceana. A girl who brought the legendary adventure team back to the present. "Nice to meet you, Captain Francis." Benjamin bowed cautiously and greeted her. However, "Huh? We've met before, haven't we?" came an unexpected response. "Mr. Benjamin, right? You took the hat my father used to wear, didn't you? I think you said it was a gift for being promoted to A-rank." "Y-You remember that?" Benjamin's composure shattered, and he blushed as he asked. The memory of receiving the old hat as a promotion gift from Njord and the other Aquamarine members in a bar where he was drinking alone, with few people to celebrate, became vivid. He realized that Francis, who was also there, had seen his childish and overjoyed face. "I have a good memory! It's been a long time! Is the hat from your father well-preserved?" "Ahem, I put it in an expensive vacuum container from the Magic Tower. It's my treasure, so I won't give it back even if you ask." "Ahahaha! I won't ask for it, so don't worry. It's too big for my head anyway!" Francis laughed at Benjamin's joke and sent a staircase down to the deck with a finger snap. The tense atmosphere softened. It might have been a minor connection, but Francis's talent for handling such situations was one of her strengths. She could move anyone with a good memory of 'Aquamarine' with just a few words. 'Lucky. The officer assigned to Aquamarine received a gift from my father, so I can make him an ally.' Knowing the messy internal affairs of 〈Bermuda〉, she saw through Benjamin's situation. Thrown into a position where he didn't know which side to support between the 〈Union Council〉 and the Magic Tower, he was a pawn. She needed someone in 〈Bermuda〉 who could be their eyes and ears, and Benjamin fit the bill. Even if he was just a shell of an officer, he would become a significant presence if he continued to build a record. It was an opportunity to shift 〈Bermuda〉's stance, which was slightly leaning towards the 〈Union Council〉, to the center. 'By pretending to be closely connected to the Magic Tower through the Chief Elder and revealing that Laurelei is Haine's disciple to evoke nostalgia...' He would think of Aquamarine more favorably than the 〈Union Council〉 or 〈Bermuda〉, who might harm him. Dozens of words and actions swirled in Francis's eyes, analyzing Benjamin's psychology to the core. Her thinking ability was faster and more precise than an unmanned being with accelerated perception. She had no talent for mana cultivation or magic, but Njord had always believed that Francis would become a greater adventure team leader than himself. —As a royal family with only a name left, it's a bit disappointing, Francis. The transcendent powerhouse knew. —If the Oceana family had remained, you would have been recorded as the greatest queen on this continent. Your beloved daughter is truly the vessel of a true king.