"It really wasn't a dream..."
"A dream? I wouldn't even dare to do that in my wildest dreams..."
Iberia, Gran Faro.
Even though the fleet had returned for more than two days, many residents were still living in a dreamlike state.
Of course, the influence of a certain Vampire abusing Cizera also played a role.
The most serious case resulting from this was...
"Hahaha! We're back! Everything in Iberia is back!"
Watching the old man running wildly on the dock, the two boatmen who were discussing the dream couldn't help but wipe their sweat.
"Has Old Man Tommy really gone mad? He's been yelling here all night."
"Don't talk nonsense... The church pastor has already seen it and said it's because he's too excited. He'll be fine after a good night's sleep."
"That's good."
Boatman A breathed a sigh of relief, looking at the old man being led away by his family with some curiosity.
"What do you think Old Man Tommy saw?"
"Didn't they already say it? It was Iberia in the past."
Was the Iberia of the past... like it is in the storybooks?
"You believe storybooks? They're just for kids."
Boatman B rolled his eyes and picked up his tools again.
"Stop thinking about it, get to work, we haven't finished today's tasks yet."
"Work? This ship is brand new, it needs maintenance?"
Boatman A looked around and, after confirming that no one was there, retreated behind the fence.
Although the two shipwrights were assigned by the Inquisition to repair the fleet, they usually just knocked on planks; how could they possibly repair these massive steel ships?
Seeing that his companions had already sat down to rest, boatman B quickly followed suit.
Faced with the empty deck, the two quickly found something to talk about.
"Are you sure these are really antiques from 50 years ago? They look brand new."
"Maybe it's because of the special material?"
Boatman A pulled out a small knife from his waist and tried to scrape some metal off the wall.
The sharp fish knife became dull, yet failed to leave a white mark on the wall.
"Tsk... Didn't the book say the fleet was made of gold? Turns out it was all fake?"
You actually believe that?
Boatman B looked at his companion with disdain.
"[Iberia is a land of gold]... That's just something you hear in storybooks."
"Then how do you explain these fleets?"
"Perhaps they are the Inquisition's secret army?"
"They don't have that capability. But I did hear a rumor..."
Boatman A lowered his voice.
"I heard... these fleets were brought back by the ghosts of Iberia."
"..."
The companion remained silent, only looking at his friend with disdain.
"Don't you believe me!"
Boatman A lowered his voice and glanced around.
"A few days ago, someone in town shouted, 'The King of Iberia has returned!' And a few days later, the fleet arrived. Isn't that a coincidence?"
Boatman B frowned. "What do I remember? It was a child causing trouble."
"What's wrong with the child?" Boatman A retorted.
"We all heard these stories from the older generation. How could such a young child make up something like this?"
"You mean..." Boatman B's expression changed.
"Were these fleets sent back by the ghosts of the kings?"
The words had barely left his mouth--
"They're back! Iberia is back!"
Tommy's father's shouts came from the direction of the harbor, echoing across the empty dock.
A damp sea breeze blew by, and the two couldn't help but shiver.
"No, no, no, how could that be?" Boatman B scratched his head in frustration.
"I remember there were crew members on board the fleet, didn't you see them too?"
Boatman A's eyes darkened, and he said quietly:
"But 50 years have passed... and they haven't changed at all."
"... I still don't believe it."
Boatman B moved to a different spot, from the shade to the sunlight.
"All the kings are long dead. You expect me to believe in the return of the King of Iberia... unless the royal city rises anew from the sea!"
Boom--!
A loud tremor came from the cabin, and the two men who had been chatting immediately stood up straight and resumed their work.
The training cabin on the Stultifera Navis wasn't spacious, but it was sufficient for the surviving crew members' recovery training.
The surviving crew members took turns fighting Skadi, but it was more like they were being beaten up than actually fighting her.
The greatsword, wielded horizontally, created a hurricane-like motion, carrying the charging crew members as they slammed into the wall.
Another shallow, human-shaped pit was imprinted on the wall, making Alfonso's teeth ache.
"Can't we find another place to train? Can't the Inquisition even spare a space?"
"Yes, if you want to see your crew smash through the wall and fly out."
Watching the next crew member go up to his death, Vane comforted him:
"On the bright side, your crew members are recovering well."
"This is on the premise that this state constitutes recovery."
Ulpianus spoke, his gaze falling on the image of Skadi knocking a crew member back with a single punch.
"Similar to the hunters, their bodies have also undergone a mutation, at least their physical abilities have been greatly enhanced... What did you do to them?"
"It's like you embedded the Seaborn Group into your bodies; you just gave them a little blood transfusion."
Reaching out to catch the incoming crew member, and then tossing him back, Vane responded:
"Of course, before the blood transfusion, they were no different from Seaborn, so you can also call them your compatriots."
"I've already thought of names. Aegir is called the Abyssal Hunters, so they'll be called [Bloodborne Hunters]."
Without intending to demand royalties on behalf of Aegir, Ulpianus directly inquired about the purpose of their visit:
Vane pursed his lips, stepped aside, and revealed Alfonso.
"I need Aegir's help."
Ulpianus glanced at Alfonso, sensing something strange in the other's gaze.
"I will provide a channel of contact with Aegir; how you discuss the specifics is up to you."
Alfonso nodded without saying thank you.
"What do you want to do?" Ulpianus asked.
"Win over Aegir's support and persuade the Inquisition."
"Purpose."
"Make him king."
Alfonso with his chin toward Vane, and Ulpianus's gaze shifted in that direction.
"Is this his idea, or is it just wishful thinking on your part?"
"This is a gamble, an opportunity for Iberia to regain its glory."
"A high-stakes gamble."
"Ha, every voyage is a gamble for a sailor, and here I am now."
"Can't you two speak like normal people? And can you at least look me in the face when you're talking? You're not some shy little girl."
Interrupting their cryptic conversation, Vane held the baby dragon out to them.
"If all else fails, take a look at this! Isn't Red Dragon that's reverted to its ancestral form enough to grab your attention?"
Alfonso stared at Reshiram, who was now raised, and suddenly realized what was going on.
"Is this your child?"
Vane shoved Reshiram right in front of Alfonso's face.
"The species have changed! This is a pure- Red Dragon, the Gods' People Overlord!"
Reshiram was a little dizzy from being shaken, let out a disgruntled bark, and flicked his tail across Alfonso's face.
Alfonso leaned back slightly, his expression subtle.
"A tyrant? Dreadfish looks more ferocious than it."
"Isn't it normal for a baby who's not even a month old to be a little chubby?"
After tucking Reshiram into Alfonso's arms, Vane straightened his torn and disheveled sleeves.
"His ancestor is a giant dragon that's a hundred meters long; if you want to play, now's the time."
"..." x2
Having shaken off the troublesome white dragon, Vane, with the black dragon on his head, leaped towards the training ground:
"Skadi ~ Want to pet my dragon~"
After knocking out the last crew member, Skadi tilted her head to look at the baby dragon above Vane's head.
"May I?"
"Sure, but I want to touch yours."
After a two-second pause, Skadi realized what was happening and offered her hair.
"It's already been washed."
"Remembering something," the girl added.
The water has been drained.
That's a real shame.
He handed over the Zekrom, Vane petted the orca.
Pure white hair flowed through her fingers like water; nothing could surpass the finest silk.
"Emm... I'm getting a little curious about the second captain's hair."
[Fun fact: Gladiia's hair is so smooth that it cannot be tied with a knot]
Skadi reached out a finger and carefully poked Zekrom's wing.
The young dragon looked up at the girl, grunted twice, and went back to sleep.
Seeing this pleasing scene, Vane suddenly said:
"Skadi, have you thought about what you want to do in the future?"
Skadi turned her head in confusion. "What are you doing...?"
"Look, since we won't be fighting the Seaborn anymore, have you thought about developing on land?"
Skadi blinked, seemingly deep in thought.
"The land is... dry."
"No problem!" Vane slapped his thigh.
"It's just a matter of hiring someone to build a humidifier. You can build as big as you want, even one that can flood the whole house."
Skadi did not immediately refuse; her eyes flickered slightly.
Seeing a glimmer of hope, Vane immediately began his sales pitch.
"The benefits here are much Aegir in Agor; you get a lot of perks from the moment you join!"
"First of all! There's no upper limit to salary, and flexible working hours! You can work whenever you want, or slack off whenever you don't want to!"
Skadi tilted her head. "... Accommodation?"
"Choose any property in the entire city! Live wherever you want, and even have your own private swimming pool!"
Skadi stopped poking Zekrom's finger and shook her head.
"Aegir also has it."
"Your swimming pool could be built to the size of an artificial lake."
"!!!"
Skadi was deeply shaken!
Seeing the changes in the girl's expression, Vane nodded in satisfaction.
No Aegir can resist a private swimming pool.
If there is... then the pool must not be big enough!
Skadi poked Zekrom with a puzzled expression, causing the young dragon to curl up into a ball.
"Don't worry, you can quit this job anytime."
Sensing the girl's inner turmoil, the Vampire uttered an alluring whisper:
"It's a bit of a shame, though, that the privilege of having a private lake... is only available to the first employee who joins the company."
With that, Vane shook his head with feigned regret and turned to walk away.
"If they really don't want to, there's nothing we can do. We'll have to ask the third captain if there are any other hunters..."
"I'll go!"
Vane stopped in his tracks, a smirk playing on his lips.
As he turned around, he pulled a contract he had prepared long ago from his pocket.
"Remember to fill in the address clearly so we can notify you when the pool construction starts."
Skadi nodded and carefully tucked it into the inside pocket of her clothes.
With satisfaction, Vane withdrew his gaze and turned to walk towards Ulpianus.
Planning as we go
Skadi is done; now it's the other hunters' turn.
It's not easy to dig around the third team leader's side, but the first team leader... well, I don't know him.
But since the hunters are all idle in Aegir now, they might as well come and work for him.
Salary? I'm not short of money.
Houses? There are plenty of empty ones.
A swimming pool? Dig it yourself, as big as you need.
As for how to persuade the hunter?
The fact that he can cure the pollution of the Seaborn is enough to make any hunter who wants a normal life unable to refuse.
The more Wayne thought about it, the more confident he became that it could succeed, and Vane steps quickened.
Just as he was about to try his luck with Ulpianus, the scene before him left him stunned.
The mischievous Reshiram in his hands was now lying quietly on Ulpianus's lap.
The white dragon cub lay sprawled out like a cat whose fur had been stroked, belly up, purring contentedly.
Meanwhile, the taciturn third captain was holding a small brush, carefully scraping the scales below the young dragon's neck.
The trembling tail tip of the baby dragon indicated that the customer was very satisfied.
How did you do that?
Vane peered over to observe, and the baby dragon showed absolutely no intention of moving.
Ulpianus didn't look up, but quickened his pace.
"The scales above the cervical vertebrae are not very hard; the scales at the joints slightly overlap; the scales on the abdomen are not dense enough; and the tail—"
"Wait, wait, wait," Vane interrupted him. "Can't you explain this in plain language?"
Ulpianus sighed. "Its growth rate is abnormal, its development is disproportionate to its size; simply put, it's overnourished."
"... I almost forgot you're a researcher."
With a sigh, Vane made a decision in his mind to reduce the amount of food he ate.
I initially thought Reshiram was eating more because of his constitution, but now it seems there was definitely a problem with how I fed him.
Anyway, it won't break, so how about letting him spar with the boss after dinner to help him digest?
Reshiram's plump body trembled for a moment, and he looked up warily, only to feel his gaze rising.
After returning the baby dragon, Ulpianus looked at Skadi.
"Have you made up your mind?"
Seeing the captain's serious expression, Skadi, who had been blinded by the private lake, instantly calmed down.
Before she could even produce the contract, Vane exclaimed in a booming voice:
Why are you yelling at her?!
Ulpianus's eye twitched, and he continued:
"... Your file will be preserved, and your new job will be your mission until another hunter takes over."
Ulpianus looked at Vane again, whose expression had completely changed.
"I misunderstood you, boohoo."
"..."
The silent hunter dragged the crew away from the treatment area, while Vane picked up the baby dragon, preparing to return to feed it.
Just then, Alfonso, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke:
What kind of partner do you like?
"... What's going on? You're not going to become my best friend too, are you?"
Unable to understand Vane's meaning, Alfonso simply spelled it out.
"Which of those two hunters did you prefer?"
"... I do have a thing for Skadi's body, but why is the WooWoo Whale in the options?!"
Looking the captain up and down, and recalling the man's complicated relationship with Garcia, Vane took a few steps back in disgust.
Don't stand behind me anymore.
Before Alfonso could explain, a message was sent in the group chat.
[Vera: Vane, do you know this person?]
Hmm, is there a new plot development?
Pulling himself together, Vane scanned the pictures in the group chat.
Goggles, a small face mask, and a sniper rifle were slung over his back.
[Vane: Isn't that Scout!]