Chapter 117

“Hooh.”

Captain Bill’s golden skull twisted in a bizarre manner.

As if to replace the nonexistent muscles and skin, the skull morphed here and there, creating a new face.

If it weren’t for that shining gold material, it would almost look like real-time clay sculpting.

“An exclusive attendant of the apprentice lady? I’ve never seen such a face before.”

“Oh my.”

Sophia exclaimed in surprise.

It was as if she were deliberately putting on an exaggerated performance.

“You might not know, Captain, but I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Oh? About me? From whom?”

“Well, of course, from Lady Franka. She knows your abilities, but she sure complained a lot about your attitude.”

“Wait!!”

Franka shouted in shock, but Captain Bill just burst into loud laughter.

“I apologize for that. Being a tough sea dog means I might not come off as refined to a rich young lady like her. But hey, is it really okay for an attendant to spill the lady’s secrets like that?”

“I believe it’s part of my role as an attendant to teach life lessons. In this case, the lesson is to always be cautious, as gossip can leak out anytime, anywhere.”

“Right, right. That’s truly a wise word. Words should always be handled with care. Hahaha! Hey, apprentice lady, looks like you’ve got quite the luck with people!”

“Isn’t it? But the lady hides me away as if she’s embarrassed, and that makes me so sad. Managing your subordinates is a higher-up’s skill, you know.”

“Exactly! A leader who can’t manage their subordinates properly doesn’t deserve the title! Watch out, apprentice lady, if you treat us attendants carelessly, you might get a surprise from behind. Just like now!”

Franka wore a look of disbelief.

Gone was her initial suspicion about Sophia’s identity, and now they seemed to be uniting to tease ‘the young lady who can’t even handle her loyal attendant’ instead.

“But, the exclusive attendant, was it Sophia? Then what about those two? They definitely don’t look like ordinary attendants.”

“Well, they’re not ordinary attendants. They came here sold by debt.”

“Oh?”

Captain Bill perked up, apparently intrigued by the story.

Sophia continued explaining calmly.

“Before that, Captain, do you know much about magical power?”

“Well, I know a fair bit.”

“I see. Truth is, I don’t know much about magical power myself, but according to the lady, those two possess very strong magical power. However, perhaps due to being too obsessed with their talents, they recklessly used their powers and ended up breaking various things, accumulating debt as a result…”

“Ah, I see. That’s rather common. But why bring such people along?”

Sophia hesitated for a moment.

Just as everyone was tensing up, wondering if her clever tongue had run out of words, she glanced toward Dorothea and approached Captain Bill.

Then she whispered something in his ear.

The only ones who could hear that were the two directly involved and Adelaide, who had enhanced hearing.

-Of course, the West Witch would be pleased with it. With such strong magical power, they would surely be useful anywhere. They think they’re just escorting sea monsters in exchange for debt forgiveness, but the truth is… You know? If we drag this on too long, the gift for the Witch might raise suspicions, so please match your words with mine.

A sly smile crept onto Captain Bill’s lips.

Adelaide was taken aback.

Sophia moved back to create some distance and said,

“Is this enough explanation?”

“Yes. I sincerely hope everything goes well!”

“Thank you, Captain. If things go as planned, I’ll ask the West Witch to shorten your contract period a bit. Of course, it’ll be with the lady’s permission.”

“Hahaha! If that happens, I couldn’t ask for more! But the way this contract works, the closer it gets to ending, the longer time seems to stretch!”

With a cheerful laugh, Captain Bill addressed Franka.

“The talks are over, so feel free to pass! Ah, but apprentice lady, heed this warning. You may be the youngest now, but if you play your cards right, you might not stay that way. You better work hard to prevent that!”

“What? Wait! What does that-“

Franka’s words got cut off.

As Captain Bill raised his hand, his ship soared back to its original height.

The impact created waves, causing the caravel Franka was on to sway dramatically.

Captain Bill’s boisterous voice echoed above them.

“Good! You’re allowed to pass! Hey, kids! Let’s take off!”

“Yes, Captain!”

With the churning waves, the massive ship set sail.

The dazzling shine of the golden sails remained bright in the darkness.

***

“Man, you sure talked big back there. Not even knowing anything.”

In response to Franka’s comment, Sophia smiled and replied.

“When it comes to fooling your opponent, it’s more about audacity than content, you know? If Lady Franka had hesitated in her reply, the opponent would have doubted everything she said. On the flip side, if you just pay attention to your tone and expressions, you can easily confuse them with empty packaging.”

Apologies if I meddled unnecessarily, Sophia said with a grin, while Franka couldn’t bring herself to resent her any further.

Deep down, she might have thought that Sophia’s point had merit.

Dorothea piped up with a question.

“So what was that all about?”

“Captain Bill. I’m not sure of the exact name, but he seems to have been cursed long ago, turning into something strange, like a monster. He’s bound by a contract with his master to return to human form, and as he said, he’s acting as a guardian. He’s incredibly powerful near water, so you must absolutely avoid fighting him there.”

“Shouldn’t that be something to mention upfront?”

“But I don’t see him much! He hardly comes out unless it’s within the master’s domain!”

Adelaide, who had been listening to the conversation, tilted her head.

She had caught a strange word amidst Franka’s dialogue.

But feeling hesitant to interrupt the serious conversation between the two, she brushed it off, thinking she must have misheard.

“Anyway, we need to hurry. We managed to get through this time, but we don’t know when that guy will report back.”

“I know without you saying.”

The crew members, who had been stunned by Franka’s orders, quickly got busy again, and soon the ship set sail.

Contrary to their worries, there were no new obstacles blocking their way this time.

The problem lay in what awaited them upon arrival.

…”Is this it?”

There was an island.

A small island made up of a white sandy beach, a few rocks, and a smidge of forest.

And that was it.

Not a shadow of a person in sight, not even a small hut, let alone a grand castle.

There was no possibility of having misjudged, for the island itself wasn’t that large. It would take less than ten minutes to cross from one side to the other.

While the others began to wonder if something was amiss, Franka was already barking orders to a few loyal crew members.

“Is there enough food and water? If I don’t return by the designated time, don’t just dawdle but escape immediately.”

“I believe you will return without fail.”

“Hmph.”

“Hey.”

Dorothea glared at Franka, demanding an explanation.

Franka simply replied,

“Stick close to me. Experiencing it firsthand will be much quicker.”

Dorothea couldn’t hide her suspicious expression, but perhaps trusting the ‘Blood Oath,’ she followed Franka without hesitation.

Five sets of footprints were left imprinted in the sandy beach.

Franka stopped in front of a rock.

It was an unremarkable rock, lacking any distinctive features, except for its slightly greenish hue, possibly due to moss or its original color.

As Franka snapped her fingers, a golden thread erupted from a bracelet on her wrist.

She warned, “Hold on tight. If you let go, you might get whisked off to some random place.”

Once everyone was confirmed to be gripping the golden thread, Franka reached for the rock.

Then, the group’s vision distorted.

***

With a touch of nausea, ringing in her ears, and dizziness, Adelaide unknowingly closed her eyes and opened them again.

And she saw.

An endless expanse of green forest.

Immense walls towering high.

A colorful village sprawled out below the hill.

“Huh?”

Adelaide rubbed her eyes in disbelief.

But the scenery before her didn’t vanish.

Sophia finally seemed to come to terms with it and muttered,

“I see. The names of the 4th Grade Witches are well-known, but practically nothing is known about their dwelling places… So, it was ‘somewhere else’ all along.”

Franka confirmed Sophia’s guess.

“Right. The island we saw first was just the entrance. The real place is separate.”

Once a certain level is reached, a wizard learns how to create their own workshop.

That place serves as a laboratory for various experiments, a storehouse for precious items, and a barrier to fend off intruders.

Not every talented wizard necessarily has a gigantic workshop, but to own such a workshop, one must possess outstanding skills.

For a legendary being known as the Great Witch, it is not an exaggeration to say that their workshop is an entirely different world.

Franka continued,

“Here, there are animals, plants, and even people. Everything that could possibly exist outside, exists here too, and at the pinnacle is the West Witch. I haven’t explored every nook and cranny, but it’s probably bigger than a fair-sized city. However, with such expanse, there are downsides. No matter how powerful the master may be, it’s impossible to monitor every single inch of this vast place.”

Originally, Captain Bill should have been inside as well, Franka added.

Dorothea replied,

“But still, if this place itself is a massive barrier and workshop, wouldn’t they at least know if someone enters?”

“Not if it’s a completely unrelated outsider. I have an identification magic taught to me by my master, and I’ve twisted it to use it, so I won’t be detected for now. If you hold onto that thread, you’ll be fine too.”

Franka pointed to the crew’s wrists.

A golden thread had somehow wrapped around them like a bracelet.

“Follow me. I’ll take you to the castle where my master lives.”