"Ah, I should probably report the priestess' return to HQ… Eh, it can wait a little, there's no rush, I need to enjoy my new cup of tea first."
Mr. Reynolds leaned back in his chair, sipped his fresh tea, and resumed reading the newspaper.
Across from him lay the mid-sized fishing boat he had decided could stay for a short while before it had to be moved.
Holding his tea, Mr. Reynolds looked at the ship and smiled, but something strange on the deck caught his eye.
"Is that a crab…?"
In front of him, a small blue crab hopped from the boat onto the pier and stared at him with its beady little eyes.
Just as he was about to set down his tea and investigate, a sudden gust of wind hit him from behind, and his hands jerked, nearly spilling the tea again.
"Heh, you're not getting me this time."
He laughed and turned his attention back towards the fishing boat with the unusual crab, but his eyes landed on an empty pier. They were gone.
"What the…?"
Slowly, he moved closer to where the ship had vanished, fear creeping into his chest.
C-Could it be a rogue sea terror that wandered in and sank it?
As he approached the spot, he withdrew his baton, heart pounding, ready to strike at whatever might appear… but nothing ever did.
"Huh? Where did it go?"
He turned around and suddenly gasped at the sight of his table.
"W-why is that crab drinking my tea!?"
…
This ring sure is handy… Thank you, Mr. Crab!
Aaron was following the signs that pointed towards the Hunter's Guild, but had long since stopped running, forced to face the harsh truth of his lacking stamina.
Coming to a fork in the road, he looked for a sign, but he couldn't find one.
Huh, that's odd… Isn't a sign needed here?
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of small feet behind him.
"Mister, are you lost?"
Spinning around, he saw a small girl standing nearby.
She had black hair and lively green eyes; however, her clothes looked tattered and worn, as if she had no other options.
"Ah, well, I guess I am…"
She stared at him boldly, unafraid despite his large stature.
"Where are you trying to go, Mister?"
She spoke with the calm assurance of someone who had experience dealing with the lost, but listening carefully, he could sense a hint of fear in her voice.
"Do you know the way to the Hunter's Guild in this area? The signs suddenly stopped, and I got a little confused."
He laughed, scratching his head sheepishly, then looked back at the girl.
"Oh! Are you a Hunter, Mister?"
Her pupils grew larger with excitement and curiosity.
Noticing her keen interest, he smiled warmly and replied in a steady voice.
"Well, I'm not one right now; however, I wish to become one."
Listening to his reply, she frowned slightly, but then smiled again.
"Okay, I'll bring you to the Guild office fast, just make sure to follow me!"
Before he could respond, she bolted down one of the roads, not checking if he was following.
Oh well, this is better than being lost…
Aaron turned toward the road she had taken, jogging after her, careful not to lose his way.
…
"H-Hey… Can you slow down?"
Out of breath, Aaron heard the young girl laugh as he struggled to keep up, nearly losing sight of her on several occasions.
"Don't worry, Mister, we are almost there!"
She suddenly stopped in front of a large building bathed in golden light, the source of which he could not pinpoint.
The sleek brick exterior showed signs of wear and tear from the war; however, the doors were made of thick wood illuminated by that eerie golden radiance.
Aaron approached from behind and stopped beside the girl, taking in the strange scene before him.
"Why is this building glowing? Are they using magic?"
His little guide looked at him, tilting her head in confusion.
"Whoa, Mister, you must be from somewhere far if you don't know what lamps are!"
She laughed and sat down near the entrance to the building.
Lamps? This must be some new technology created in Sea Fallen by that brilliant inventor… Wait, who was it again?
As Aaron reached for the door, he paused and turned towards the girl.
"I never asked for your name."
She looked at him and grinned.
"My name's Alice."
Nodding, Aaron reached into his pocket and pulled out a small gold coin he had found in one of the ship's drawers.
"Here, this is your reward for guiding me this far."
He tossed the coin in her direction before pushing open the double doors of the Hunter's Guild.
Alice caught the coin with surprise, quickly glancing between the piece of gold and Aaron.
"W-Wait, are you sure you want to give this to me? T-This can buy a lot in this area!"
She jumped up to return the coin but saw the doors close shut as he disappeared inside the building, denying her the chance.
…
In the guild's lobby, Aaron walked towards the front desk, which was made of dark wood and adorned with a golden trim.
The room was vast and radiated power, with gilded stone lining the floor and reflecting the grandeur of towering brick pillars that supported the chamber.
Sitting at the desk was an elderly man who appeared to be well past retirement age.
"How may I help you, young man?"
His voice was raspy and quiet, making it hard for Aaron to understand.
"Can I apply for a Hunter's License, sir?"
He spoke loudly enough for the elderly man to hear, even if he were hard of hearing.
The white-haired man chuckled and handed Aaron a form without even rising from his chair.
"You look like the type who'd be an adventurer, eh? Well, the next examination is in three days; however, I can give you a temporary license if you are a citizen of this sea."
Aaron studied the man carefully before replying.
"I'm a citizen of one of the islands a little north of here. Unfortunately, I don't have my ID on me, so hopefully this is enough."
He lifted his hair slightly, revealing a small mark on the left side of his head—the symbol of the Sea of Dreams.
"Ah, that is indeed enough for me. I'll have your license in a moment; you can sit over there in the meantime."
He pointed towards a small chair at the edge of the hall before leaving his desk and vanishing into the back room.
Well, that was easy… Since the marks are impossible to replicate, you can easily use them as ID if you have nothing else.
Aaron smiled and strolled to the chair to await his license.
…
Somewhere in the Sea of Chains, an empty brigantine drifted through the dangerous waters as a small raft floated towards it.
On the raft stood a lone masked man, his palm burning with dark flame, red as fresh wounds and black as a starless sky.
"Tsk, always being sent out on these pathetically pointless missions. I wish Master would just allow me to take over some small village where I could become a king…"
As the raft approached the brigantine, the man dived into the rough waves and swam to the ladder on the ship's side.
Quickly climbing the ladder, he stood atop the deck and scanned his surroundings.
"Holy magic? Did someone from the Church attack them?"
As he examined the charred marks on the deck, he noticed strange writing near the captain's quarters.
His expression tightened with rising suspicion as he squatted down to read the beautifully written words.
"F-Flaming blue sails? O-Only one of the Sea Kings would have a ship like that. I must report this to Master immediately. This could complicate his plans in Sea Fallen…"
As he retreated towards his raft, the brigantine shook with a loud rumble.
Out of the deep blue waves arose a large black sea serpent with eyes oozing like those of a rotting corpse.
"Eh? A sea terror dares show itself in my presence?"
The masked man raised his hand, igniting it with flames of crimson fire and shadow before speaking to the beast.
"This is simply natural selection, I suppose."
The large serpent roared and attempted to expand its mouth to swallow the ship; however, the man laughed and chanted under his breath.
「Burn.」
The flames engulfing his right hand shot out directly at the sea serpent, whose jaw was wide open.
As the blazing embers entered its mouth, the creature roared in agony while the fire scorched its flesh, melting it into a foul stench that thickened the air.
Its eyes popped and bubbled as the dark liquid began to boil, while its anguished wails echoed into the gray fog surrounding the brigantine.
The man simply laughed at the serpent's suffering, then jumped onto his small boat and started paddling away.
"I wonder if I should grab its core… No, that would be too much of a hassle for a puny level five creature. Maybe I should head East and hunt larger prey for Master sometime."
The last cries of the dying terror reverberated throughout the sea as the man sailed away, chuckling at its final moments.