Chapter 870 Charlotte, The Young Captain
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"Name's Charlotte! I am sorry for ignoring you, mister! I really thought you were calling somebody else in the harbor… It has been ages since I got some clients! Since that third incident where I lost a lot of merchandise from a Flying Squid attack that I've made a terrible reputation… I seem to be cursed by Njord for real! Are you sure you want to board my ship?" He asked. He was quite the honest boy. But Charlotte? Isn't that a girl's name? Or maybe its for both sexes and I am just ignorant? Well, whatever's the case, he seemed to be a good guy.
"Don't worry about it, we are capable enough to take down any monster of the sea." I said, as we all showed him our Mana Auras. Frost, Huginn and Muninn, and other monsters were inside of my Shadows so they couldn't show off their power though.
"Eh?! So strong! You're all high Rank! …I am merely Rank 3, barely!" The boy said. "I am a Water Attribute Magician so I am good in the sea, but against these monsters… Sometimes not even that's enough. The sea is truly a dangerous place, the most dangerous of the entire world, some say!"
"Haha, I bet you've had your fair exchange of scares and challenges, huh?" I wondered.
"Two years ago I was almost sank by a Rank 8 Kraken!" He cried.
"Eh?!"
"A year ago, a Rank 7 Sea Snake King appeared and destroyed a large part of my ship, it took all my savings to repair it…" He sighed.
"R-Rank 8 and 7?! Isn't this sea… a tad bit too dangerous?" I asked.
"I told you it was! The route you want to take to the Frost Island, which I've been taking adventurers into some time go is perilous! There's a large agglomeration of underwater dungeons merged together in what some call "Triton's Abyss". It's hell! But still, I've gone through it a few times, luckily so. But lately I got a struck of bad luck and hence, my reputation pummeled… Reputation is everything in here if you want to make a living. I am barely with enough pennies; I've already considered selling my ship." Charlotte said.
"That's no good! You can't possibly do that, Charlotte! Never abandon your dreams as a captain! Who else will help us get through these dangerous seas? You're quite experienced as well!" Benladann said, as she cheered up the little man with her soft words.
"I-Is that so…? Are you sure you want to?" He wondered.
"We literally have nobody else, young lad. You seem talented. Don't listen to those people. We'll protect the ship if anything dangerous shows up anyways!" Said Rakasha.
"Yeah, feel reassured." Said Tisha.
"We are all decently strong. At the very least we can protect the ship and you." Said Pekora.
"Leave it on our hands. I am rather thrilled if we could find a monster though!" Said Skadi.
"Skadi don't say that out loud…" Uller said.
"Y-You're a weird bunch… Hahaha! Alright, fine!" He said. "But it ain't cheap sir."
"I know. How much is for the ride there and then back a few hours later?" I wondered.
"You're not going for just tourism? Wait, you're for real intending to go to the Frost Tower?!" He asked in surprise.
"What's so wrong about it? doesn't a lot of people go there to explore it and see anything happening there?" I wondered.
"I-It is a rather big attraction, yeah, but only the craziest battle junkies live in that island constantly challenging the inheritance! Also I've heard it has some weird restrictions to enter…" Charlotte said, trying to discourage us. He really hated money, didn't he? Or maybe he was just very considerate of us.
"I appreciate your consideration, good man. As a Rank 6 Magus, I feel rather confident I could at least explore some of its challenges. So fear not, we are well prepared." I said with a nod. "So how much it is?"
"W-Well… If you want me to get you there safely, then stay until you come out and bring you back… roughly… 500 Gold Coins, give or take. Well, just for you, I'll make it 450 Gold Coins." He said.
"Here's a thousand." I said, putting a sack with coins over the boy's hands.
"EEH?! T-THOUSAND?!" Charlotte couldn't help but cry out loud. It made me think he was still a teenager because his voice has yet to develop into a stronger and deeper voice, still having a slightly childish voice.
"Yeah, what's wrong?" I wondered. "We are rather wealthy. We are not VIP Merchants for nothing. I heard there are also rare materials and monsters in the tower and that island, this is all for profits too, hehe." I said with a smirk. I wasn't lying there. I was truly interested in the prospects of making more money.
"Alright… Though giving me so much… Mister you're only making me feel guilty about it!" He exclaimed while readying everything over the ship. We saw how he ran downstairs and then touched a large purple crystal. When he touched it, the entire crystal flowed mana across the entirety of the ship, making it change. Its old appearance suddenly became lustrous, as its sails extended and grew larger.
"Boy, this ain't normal magic ship!" Rakasha said, as the boy walked upstairs back to us.
"Huh? Normal? Well, yeah. I was born with a strange ability… They call them Unique Skills. I am an innate [Captain] because it was always my dream to travel the seas… Some people I shared this secret said I should have a previous life to remember, but I don't really remember a thing from my previous life, hahah! So I call this Unique Skill my little gift, although lately I feel like I am getting shrouded with bad luck…" He sighed.
"Wow… another reincarnated person! But he doesn't remember who he was…?" Asked Benladann.
"Wait… Unique Skill?! Isn't it dangerous to share such a secret so openly?" I asked.
"I got nothing to hide to such good customers!" Said Charlotte with a wide smile from ear to ear.
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