Looking out of the window, I could see the harbor where the ship was anchored, shielded from the waves.
Although I couldn’t see them from the my room, a group of sailors was still on it, busy repairing the damages from the recent attack.
A few days had passed from the ambush and the journey had finally reached its destination, the trading settlement of Red Claw, home of the famous Crimson tiger.
Once a fierce mercenary that travelled far and wide, he had long since settled down on this island, transforming it from a deserted outpost into a developed marketplace.
Great part of this process was due not to his commercial skills, but to the reputation that his name carried.
Although his reputation as an upright person, even if quite fiery, helped, the most important part was about his strength.
Thanks to the rumours of his abilities and the fact that he actively lived up to them, often charging personally into the fray, this island had become a safe haven for merchants and sailors.
This was the first reason why the ship had come to this island to sell its cargo.
The second was that apparently, from what I discovered while chatting with the officials, the founder and owner of the trading company and the island’s patron were old friends, comrades that had fought together on the battlefield.
That was the reason why the company periodically travelled to the island, bringing cargo back and forth.
And it was on one of such travels that I embarked as a guard.
It was also here that I would leave the ship, as the destination of my travel laid further south of the island.
For now though, I remained with the ship’s crew, that was to my surprise stationed not in a tavern of the island, but in the island lord’s fortress.
…
“Please, make yourself comfortable, captain Walker.”
“Thank you again for your hospitality, Lord Carter.”
"Don’t mention it.
Any trusted subordinate of my old friend is a welcome guest in my house.
Moreover it would be quite inconvenient to make you go back and forth from the fortress every time I want to talk with you.
Now, tell me, how is Aaron?"
“Lord Franklins vividly expressed his desire to join this expedition, but unfortunately his presence was required for an important decision at the headquarters.”
"I bet he did, AHAH!
Aaron was never the type to stay put in one place.
Staying in his office all day must feel like being in prison to him.
I wouldn’t be surprised if he suddenly disappeared one day or another, leaving the reins to someone else.
But tell me about the journey.
I heard that you run into a little problem on the way here."
"As ashamed as I am to admit it, we did.
A pirate, that I learned is called by the moniker of Mist-bringer managed to get hold of the date of our departure and laid ambush to us.
Fortunately, there were no casualties, only wounded and the cargo is intact.
But the ship will need to be repaired and our return will be delayed."
"Don’t worry about such things, you’ll have my full support for the repairs.
Still, Mist-bringer, uh?
That brat has been hanging around this parts for a while now.
I ignored him since he never got too close and I couldn’t be bothered to venture out to deal with him, but it appears that has gotten to his head.
He dares to touch a ship under the banner of an old friend.
Seems like he has gotten tired of sailing the sea and would like to explore its depths.
As a way to make amend for my laziness, I’ll promise you this, captain Walker.
Before you depart from this island, that brat’s ship will have vanished from the seas’ surface.
I’ll make sure of that personally."
“Thank you very much for you consideration, Lord Carter.”
"Hmm.
Still, guys that play hit-and-run like him are a pain to deal with.
But don’t worry, I have a couple of tricks to deal with their type, that I picked up long ago from an annoying guy.
Tsk, just recalling his nagging make my ears hurt.
I always wondered how did Destroyer and Slasher manage to deal with him."
“Those are some famous names you are mentioning, Lord Carter.”
"Ahahah, indeed.
In olden times we often met on the battlefield, but now it’s been ages since I last saw them.
I wonder, if I capture that brat alive could I use him as an excuse to request the dispatch of one of them and have a drink together?
… Hmm …
I guess I’ll try to hold back enough not to kill him then.
AHAHAH!"
…
Meanwhile, on the training grounds of a far away Navy base, a young man with short black hair was swinging his longsword.
His opponent, a poised gentleman with an elderly demeanour, but with a physique that betrayed its strength even under his uniform, avoided his strikes without breaking a sweat, as he continued to instruct the young man.
"Focus.
Keep your center aligned."
Parrying a sudden strike, the young man let his opponent’s blade slide along his, trying to limit his opponent’s mobility, keeping their swords locked, to utilize his superior reach.
The older man’s footwork however was far nimbler than his, breaking free in an instant.
"Good.
But don’t expose yourself too much for a single opponent.
They outnumber us 1 to a 100.
Who is gonna protect the civilians if you give your life for that of just one of them?"
The attacks of the young man were strong and sharp, and his defence solid as an iron wall.
Yet his mentor seemed to always manage to target the perfect spots, causing his posture to collapse and leaving him no room to regain his energy.
"You’ll be outnumbered.
There’ll be no moment to catch your breath."
Tired and breathless, the young man struggled under the barrage of relentless attacks, yet he didn’t break, the will in his eyes still strong.
Nearby, at the other end of the training field, a girl soared over the ground, taking distance from the clouds of dust raised by her opponent’s attack.
With one motion of her hand, dozens of magic arrows appeared behind her, her silver hair dancing in the wind they rised, as they raced toward their target.
"AHAHAHAHA!!
GOOD, NICE ENTHUSIASM!
BUT … "
Focusing magic energy in his leg, the old soldier stomped on the ground, releasing an explosion that swallowed the projectiles.
“NOT STRONG ENOUGH!”
As the clouds of dust hovered over the ground, a slender figure pierced through them, a rapier shining in her hand.
Deflecting the weapon’s tip with the gauntlet of his uniform, the man extended his arm toward the wielder.
Without hesitation, the girl dashed sideways, seemingly disappearing as the punch unleashed by the man blew away everything that was in its direction.
Reappearing a few meters away, the girl took her stance, the tip of her blade pointing at the old soldier, ready to lunge forward at the first opening.
Donning an exaggerated grin that, secretly, the girl found infuriating, her mentor spoke again.
"AHAHAH!
AS LIGHT ON YOUR FEET AS ALWAYS, I SEE.
NOW, WHAT’S THE MATTER?
IT’S NOT TIME FOR A BREAK YET!"
Not even waiting for the man to stop talking, the young marine forced herself to keep going, as a new storm answered her call.
…
Later that evening, leaving the exhausted students behind at the training grounds, the two veterans moved to the base’s operations center.
Navigating the huge structure, the two arrived to the meetings hall.
Inside the room stood a long table, where most seats were already occupied by the respective officers, waiting for the meeting to start while reading the documents placed in front of them.
Sitting next to him, the old soldier greeted his friend.
“Already here, Lucas?”
“You’re late, George.”
“I was busy raising the next generation, you see.”
“That’s not an excuse to arrive late to a meeting.”
“Time spent on training is always time well spent.”
“So is time spent teaching values, punctuality for example.”
Similar conversations had repeated since they met each other, so by now both men knew that they wouldn’t change the other habits, yet these exchanges had become a sort of habit for them.
“It’s because you’re so inflexible that your apprentice run away.”
"He didn’t run away.
His path has simply led him elsewhere."
“Sure sure, if you say so.”
"It was his choice.
Nothing good would have come from him staying in the Navy while unsure about his decision.
Moreover, it strengthened the resolve of the other ones, didn’t it?"
"Sure it did.
Speaking of other ones, I didn’t see him around."
“He was dispatched.”
“What? When?”
“While you were busy catching up with your paperwork.”
“What? Wait, was it your -”
At that moment the officer in charge of the meeting finally arrived and all attention focused on him.
Looking at the grave expression of the man, the old soldier sighed.
“Honestly, there is never a moment of peace for these old bones in these seas.”