Sailing

The moment Ophelia landed on the deck of The Voyager, the wooden planks shuddered under the impact.

Klein landed right after her, his feet hitting the deck as he bent his knees slightly to absorb the force. As the wind-breaking spell dissipated, the air that had been compressed around them for the entire flight suddenly rushed outward, the sea breeze whipping past and turning his hair into a tangled mess.

Before the gathered sailors could even react, Diancie had already rushed out from the cabin.

“Mr. Klein!”

She was running in a hurry, her heels clicking a rapid rhythm against the deck. Lohr followed behind her; though his pace was steady, he was moving significantly faster than usual.

Diancie skidded to a halt in front of Klein, taking a breath before immediately pouring out what Nelisa had reported over the communication line—the monsters slaughtering each other and the fish scattering after devouring the remains. She spoke clearly and logically, having evidently organized her thoughts repeatedly while waiting.

Klein listened and gave a simple nod.

Diancie waited for a moment, but she didn't get the reaction she expected.

“You’re not surprised?”

“Ophelia and I saw it with our own eyes at the fourth coordinate.” Klein pulled his notebook from his pocket, flipped through a few pages, then closed it and tucked it back in. “The schools of fish were fighting over the remains; there was no stopping them. The scattered shredded meat is beyond recovery now.”

Diancie’s expression shifted. “Then you two—”

“We didn't go to the remaining points. It would have been a waste of effort.”

A silence fell over the deck for a beat.

Lohr stood slightly behind Diancie, remaining silent.

Diancie took a deep breath.

“So, what do we do now?”

Klein scratched the cover of his notebook with his fingernail. This habit had become more frequent lately; he needed something to do with his hands while he thought.

“Let’s stop trying to deal with the situation at sea for now; it’s beyond our control. The priority is to meet up with Nelisa and then head for the coast.”

“Head for the coast?” Diancie frowned. “You mean, give up on clearing those—”

“It’s not giving up,” Klein interrupted her, raising a hand to trace a vague arc in the air. No spell lit up at his fingertips; it was merely a gesture to illustrate his point. “The number of anchor points has shifted from controllable to uncontrollable. Even if I were split into two hundred pieces and scattered across the sea, it wouldn't be enough.”

His words left Diancie momentarily speechless.

Klein glanced at her.

“Contact Nelisa. Set a meeting point, preferably near the coastline. Her fleet is scattered; tell her to call back everyone she can concentrate.”

Diancie didn't delay. She turned and headed back toward the cabin, her hand already reaching for her communication artifact. Lohr followed, but after a few steps, he turned back to look at Klein. His gaze was complex, but he said nothing, eventually turning to follow Diancie through the cabin door.

Only Klein and Ophelia remained on the deck.

A few sailors stood at a distance, not daring to approach. The commotion of the pair's landing had been too great, and combined with the speed they had shown when departing earlier, no one could tell exactly what level this couple operated at.

About fifteen minutes later, Diancie emerged from the cabin.

“I’ve made contact.” She was still clutching the communication artifact. “Nelisa agrees—she also thinks we should meet up first. Her three squads have already begun to converge. She wants us to head southeast and meet near the Chloe Reefs.”

Klein nodded. “How far is that area from the coastline?”

“A half-day’s voyage.” Diancie flipped through her maritime chart, pointing to a spot. “Her first squad is currently here, and we are here. If we take the diagonal—”

“I’ve calculated it. If both sides adjust their headings, we should meet in about two hours.”

Lohr added the comment. He had appeared beside Diancie at some point, holding a protractor and marking a few points on the chart.

Diancie looked at him.

Lohr tucked the protractor away. “I’ve sailed those waters before. The Chloe Reefs have a natural breakwater, and there are fixed channels for large vessels to enter and exit. It won't be difficult to defend.”

“Fine.” Klein didn't dwell on the matter. “We’ll talk more once we meet. I have some things to calculate on the way.”

He turned and headed toward his own cabin.

After a few steps, he suddenly stopped.

“By the way, where is Aphros?”

“In her cabin,” Diancie said. “I’ve been with her the whole time; nothing unusual has happened.”

Klein nodded and continued walking.

Ophelia watched his back disappear behind the cabin door, remaining silent for a few seconds.

Diancie stood nearby, not in a rush to leave. She hesitated for a moment before speaking: “Lady Ophelia, regarding those monsters... does Mr. Klein already have a plan?”

Ophelia withdrew her gaze and looked down to adjust the sword belt at her waist.

“I believe in him,” she said.

Diancie wanted to respond, but Ophelia had already started walking toward the cabin. As she passed Diancie, she added without turning her head:

“Help me keep an eye on the heading. If anything unusual happens, just call me... don't disturb him.”

Diancie was stunned for a moment.

Then she nodded.

The Voyager slowly turned its bow, sailing toward the southeast. The runic detector at the top of the mast flashed once every thirty breaths. The blue glimmer was almost invisible under the sun, but every flash represented a scan—no anomalies within a three-hundred-meter radius.

The sea was quiet.

But it was a silence that made one feel uneasy.

Lohr stood at the stern, looking out at the sea behind them. The wake pulled two white lines that slowly drifted apart, melting into the deep blue water.

Lohr exhaled. His previous missions had been nothing more than evaluation and monitoring. Now, he didn't even have the qualifications to evaluate—he had no idea what level of event he was actually facing.

The only thing he could do was draw his blade when the time came to draw it.

As for whether it would be of any use—he would find out when the time came.