"Was that you talking, or the parrot?" Number Zero asked, the corner of his mouth twitching.
Rhonin looked bewildered. "The parrot, of course. How could I possibly say something so crude?"
"We've got trouble," Number Zero said warily.
The news reached Rowan immediately.
"What? A foulmouthed parrot?" Rowan asked in surprise.
Jaina nudged Rowan's arm and said indignantly, "Focus on the important part, you idiot. A talking parrot has appeared out at sea. Don't you know what that means?"
"Oh, right, right. With two archmages like you and Rhonin backing me up, I actually forgot pirates were even a thing. My fault." Rowan gave an embarrassed chuckle, then reconsidered and realized something was wrong. "That doesn't make sense. You heard the parrot, but you couldn't detect any sign of an enemy ship?"
The conversation shifted, bringing the question back to Rhonin.
Rhonin's broad, lightly stubbled face flushed faintly. "Sorry, I really didn't detect any sign of an enemy ship," he admitted awkwardly.
At least you're honest.
At that, the atmosphere in the cabin grew tense.
The parrot certainly hadn't flown over from land. If it was up there spewing abuse, someone must have brought it out to sea.
Viewed that way, the enemy ships had to be hiding somewhere on the ocean, and they had used some particular spell to conceal their fleet's position.
They had to consider the worst-case scenario. Rowan immediately ordered the fleet to prepare for battle.
"Teacher, I don't believe there weren't any unusual signs at all. Tell us everything you detected, and we'll work something out together," Jaina said.
Rhonin stroked his chin and nodded in agreement with Jaina's suggestion. He added, "Let me make this clear first: even I'm not certain about what I'm about to tell you. So, Rowan, you'd better not