The sky was awash in orange as Lukey and Triton walked towards the Searing Seas.

  After Caldoon left with the zaurian girl, they went back to free the remaining clan members that were still locked in the cargo hold. Once that was done, Triton managed to haul the ship using [Water Formation: Ryugu].

  It was his first time witnessing Triton’s abilities, and Lukey couldn’t help but be impressed. The old geezer could not only manipulate several tons of water but could do so with such precision and artistry that made the entire art a spectacle to behold. Lukey could see every fang, every scale, and every hair on the serpent as it moved about. He could only hope to one day wield that level of control when he reached that stage of sovereignty.

  Unfortunately, however, Lukey was forced to stay onboard the ship. The ship had dozens of Ryugu clan members giving him the evil eye as he was forced to wait patiently for the ship to dock. They didn’t try anything, but their distaste for Lukey was palpable during the entire trip. He didn’t blame them either, especially after his outburst during the initial encounter with the chieftain’s daughter.

  Lukey didn’t regret what he said, though. The truth was that zaurians had given them nothing but grief. He could still remember the yearly procedure, when everybody on the island was ordered to hide inside their homes because of another attack by zaurian pirates. Each of those times the barbarians waved the horned skull as their flag, but this time they were so bold as to wave the flag of their nation.

  The zaurian superiority complex disgusted him, and Saphira had done nothing to change that outlook. She was probably the most stuck-up person he ever met, making demands and speaking to everyone as if they were lower than her. Even if he did think she was somewhat pretty, that didn’t give her the right to boss everyone around. Her attitude was so bad, she even tried to make demands of Caldoon, a fourth-stage sovereign.

  These thoughts festered in his mind, manifesting as a grimace as he walked to the restaurant alongside Triton.

  Lukey was so caught up in his negative feelings, in fact, that he didn’t notice the punch closing in on his right side.

  Wham

  Just like that, Lukey ended up being launched several feet from his position. He traveled in a lengthy flight through the air before landing on the ground in an undignified faceplant. After coming to a full stop, he pushed his upper body out of the stone in a rage, quickly turning his body and facing Triton with fury in his eyes.

  “WHAT IN THE ABYSS IS YOUR PROBLEM, OLD MAN!?” Lukey raged. “Why did you have to hit me this time!?

  “You’re my problem,” Triton answered sternly. “What was that on the ship? I thought you used your head to deal with your problems. Clearly, I was wrong.”

  Lukey stared at Triton in confusion before realizing what he was referring to: his outburst on the ship.

  “Did you forget how the zaurians treated us? Weren’t you right there alongside the emperor when you went to defend the island? They’re savages!” Lukey ranted. “The Ryugu are no different; they’re just another clan from the same culture that wants to kill and enslave us.”

  “Is that so?” Triton eye-rolled. “Well, tell me then, where exactly are the Zaurians from? How many clans are there? What are the Zaurian cities like?”

  Lukey stared in confusion at the barrage of questions, then shook his head.

  “Why does any of that matter?” he asked.

  “It matters…” Triton said, waving his hand at the horizon behind Lukey, causing him to look out at the distance where ocean met sky, “because the world is such a vast place. So many races, cultures, and civilizations have grown specifically because of the unique challenges their homes have presented them with.”

  Triton continued.

  “Mesozauria is a wasteland of bones and titans. Not as bad as the Abyssal Ocean perhaps, but inhospitable nonetheless. If you wish to survive in that place, you must show ferocity and indomitability towards everything and everyone around you. That is the way of the zaurians; I know because I was forced to live there during an expedition, alongside Dragon’s Lance.”

  Lukey listened intently to the elder's words, and he felt his fury gradually dissipate. He thought that their arrogance was just how zaurians were raised; that they just thought they were superior to everyone else, and that’s why they attacked everyone with such ferocity. Not once did he ever think that their attitude towards the world would be a necessity.

  Mesozauria, huh? Guess I’ll have to see it for myself one day.

  “Your outburst could have jeopardized a vital deal with a foreign power. Remember that before you decide to have another fit.”

  Lukey felt shameful, and he looked at the ground in utter defeat.

  “Calm down,” Triton assured. “For what it’s worth, that Ryugu girl had her fish half cooked, so to speak. Caldoon seems to have settled the situation amiably, so no harm was done in the end.”

  That comment made Lukey relax a little, but he still felt rotten inside.

  “Let’s just hurry to the restaurant. Caldoon brought that stalker you killed to the chef a while ago, and it doesn’t take much to cook crab meat. Let’s get there quickly before they eat everything.”

  “Agreed.” Lukey nodded.

  …

  A short walk later, Triton and Lukey stood in front of a wide, open-air building. The light brown roof was propped up with a dozen wooden pillars strewn about in rows of four. Beneath the roof, several circular tables were set up with stools in sets of four. Everything was made of wood and quite plain, but considering the lack of materials, this was a decent setup.

  Above the entrance, in front of the roof, sat a sign. “Searing Seas” was emblazoned on it, alongside the insignia of a flame and a fish moving in circular unison. In the back, plumes of steam rose from several barrels of boiling water. The barrels sat above cooking fires, and above the barrels was a giant grate where a large piece of crab meat was being steamed.

  Fanning the flames was a man wearing a red shirt with ornate golden trim, along with brown trousers and black boots. His dark hair reached all the way down to his legs, tied up in several large bulbs to create a long rattail.

  “Triton! Lukey! Over here!”

  In the center of the building, around a large circular table, sat Caldoon and Adran. They weren’t the only ones either, because sitting at another table were Garrett and his team, calmly chatting as they waited for the food to be out. They were wearing loose leisure clothes like what Lukey had, and without their armor he could finally see their faces.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  Starting from Garrett’s left, there was a tall blond woman, a bulky brown-haired man, a mothlike humanoid Lukey couldn’t place, a raven-haired beauty, and a young blond boy. Each of them had relaxed expressions as they waited for the meat to be served, though Lukey didn’t miss the bored looks some of them gave.

  Years of service fighting tyrants, yet they're stuck here. I can’t help but feel bad for them.

  Looking back at Caldoon, they both walked over and took their seats. Though it was only after they did so that they noticed a third person at their table, hidden behind Caldoon’s broad form. Nestled between Caldoon and Adran was Saphina, crouching down in nervous fear of the emperor next to her.

  “Glad that you two could make it.” Caldoon proclaimed. “I think the meat is going to be ready soon too. So, let’s all get acquainted before our food arrives.”

  Lukey and Triton stared at the trio in dead silence, which was unfortunately broken as the emperor began speaking again.

  “Lukey, Triton, this is Saphina, daughter to the chieftain of the Ryugu clan. I invited her to have a meal with us so we can discuss the situation with the Conquerors.” Then he turned to Saphina. “Saphina, this is Triton, my right-hand man, and Lukey, a young member of my guild.”

  Nobody said anything as everyone present continued to bask in the awkward silence. Nobody wanted to say anything, because any comment might risk the conversation descending into an argument. Instead, everyone at the table waited in silence for a few minutes for the crab to be served.

  “Ahem, excuse me.” A friendly voice came from the side.

  Everyone sitting at the table turned to see the chef standing beside their table. Lukey didn’t notice it earlier, but the man wore a blindfold that matched his pale skin. He stood in a proper, upright pose with a small smile on his face and arms holding two plates of food.

  “I apologize, but due to the size of the crab meat, it will take some more time to steam.” The man said. “I hope you will enjoy these appetizers I’ve prepared in the meantime.”

  After saying that, the man set down one of the trays in the center of the table. In it, there were small loaves of bread, some sort of orange dipping sauce, and a basket of what looked like fried tentacles.

  “Fried breaded squid with sweet-spicy sauce, along with some freshly made bread. And while I’m here, can I get anything for you all to drink?”

  “Coconut rum for everyone!" Caldoon cheered, denying anyone a chance to say anything.

  “Understood, I’ll go fetch a barrel.” The chef said, then spun and entered a sizable building to the side of the restaurant. Lukey got curious about the man but didn’t have the mind to use [Insight] while food was sitting in front of him.

  This left everyone at the table to begin picking at the basket, taking pieces of fried squid for themselves and dipping them before stuffing them in their mouths. Lukey was following suit, and he was shocked at how good tentacles were, especially after getting a sweet/spicy kick. For some reason though, the tentacles reminded him of the events of today, as described by Caldoon and Triton.

  Thinking about it reminded Lukey of something vital, and he nearly choked as he moved to speak up.

  “Wait a second!” Lukey coughed. “What about the flagship? You mentioned that after dealing with the cargo ships you would go back for the flagship! What happened to it?”

  “Gone,” Caldoon said unconcerned. “I went back to check the area after talking with Saphina, and they all disappeared. I even scouted the seas around the island while you all were busy, and I turned up squat.”

  “You did all that while we were dealing with the Ryugu?” Lukey asked in astonishment.

  “I’m a very fast swimmer, and I can sense things through the water in a wide area. Overall, it was fairly simple.” Caldoon confirmed.

  Lukey sank back in his chair, riddled with newfound anxiety.

  “Great, so now the Conquerors have fled home with a newly acquired taste for vengeance. Are we sure they won’t come back with an even bigger fleet next time around?” Lukey despaired.

  “No, they won’t,” Saphina spoke up. This surprised everyone at the table, causing them to look directly at her. She immediately shrunk down in nervousness but continued her explanation. “They lost a fleet of forty ships, so I’m certain whoever set up the raid will end up executed for this. The Dominators are brutes, but they perform heavy planning before they stage any attack.”

  After her explanation, a moment of silence stretched between them as they all contemplated what this meant. On the bright side, it meant that they would no longer be the victims of yearly attacks, since the zaurians would think twice about sending their ships here. On the downside, it also meant that the dominion would show greater concern in the future and would probably mean trouble later if the island ever gained global recognition.

  “The Coconut Rum you requested is here.” The chef interrupted, then brought a large barrel to their table. He seemed to have no trouble lifting it, balancing the barrel in one hand as he strode over and set it down next to their table. Shortly after, the chef produced a set of mugs for each of the people present along with a pitcher of water. “Enjoy.” He said before leaving to serve the lancer’s table.

  After that, everyone, Lukey included, dipped their mugs in to get a mug full of rum and enjoyed themselves. He had sneaked a few drinks of coconut rum before, and he always loved the sweet nuttiness it had. However, although he loved the stuff, he was aware of how easily he could get drunk due to his small stature. Thus, he made sure to pace himself with drinks of water in between.

  After everyone had gotten slightly inebriated, the conversation continued.

  “I suppose there’s no use worrying about what the future holds.” Adran added. “Though one thing does make me curious: why did all the ships converge on this island? Wouldn’t it have been better to send some of the cargo ships back to unload the slaves in Mesozauria before attacking the island?”

  Everyone fell into thought, but no one could muster a reliable answer. No one, save for Saphina.

  “Maybe because slavery is outlawed in Mesozauria?” She spoke.

  For the second time everyone looked at her, though this time there was even greater confusion in their stares.

  “What? Outlawed? Why would a bunch of barbarians care about banning slavery?” Lukey asked.

  “It’s because we’re barbarians that it’s banned!” Saphina said with irritation. “In Mesozauria, natural law dictates that it’s kill or be killed. Everything in Mesozauria follows this law, be it the savage wildlife or the dozens of zaurian clans that live there. We value our freedom to roam and kill, so slavery is considered an act of humiliation worse than death.”

  Saphina let her words sink in for the surprised faces around the table, then continued.

  “Thousands of years ago, one clan tried enslaving all the others, vying to become the dominant force on the continent. Fortunately, their leader was slain by the one now known as the Barbarian Sovereign. Since then, all forms of slavery have been unilaterally banned within Mesozauria; even the domestication of animals for cattle is banned for this reason.”

  Everyone present was entranced by the story, to the point where no one realized they had stopped eating. Lukey was still chewing on a fried tentacle when the story began and slowly started chewing again once it was over. Learning about different regions of the world was always fascinating, but this was a piece of history that he never would’ve learned without talking with a true zaurian. Not even Adran knew this much, despite being born there.

  “Well, that was informative and all,” Caldoon interrupted, “but that doesn’t explain where they were taking the slaves.”

  After resigning themselves to the fact that they didn’t know much about the slave trade, they continued chatting and picked at the appetizers until there was nothing left. Meanwhile, the food served to combat the booze in their stomachs gradually sobered everyone up enough to think clearly again.

  After Lukey was once again in his right mind, he finally came upon the answer.

  “Northeast,” he answered, causing everyone to look at him. “One group was sent to the east to raid the Ryugu, another sailed south to raid the passing merchant ships, and the last group went northwest to the Emerald Expanse. Once they were all finished, they converged on our island in the center, probably to capture this place on the way to their final destination.”

  Considering where each of the slaves was taken from and the fact they converged here, it was the most rational explanation Lukey could come up with regarding where the slaves were headed. The only question left was who was in the Northeast that was conducting the slave trade.

  Based on what he heard, Northern Novus contained the Emerald Expanse, with its dense jungles and rivers. Northern Vetus, conversely, was an uninhabitable desert, akin to a vast sandy ocean. It was so bad that much of Northern Vetus went almost completely unexplored, due to the simple fact of it containing no life whatsoever.

  As Lukey was musing to himself, there was one final interruption.

  “Ahem!” The chef intervened, causing all eyes to gaze in his direction. “I apologize for the wait, but the stalker meat is ready! Please enjoy.”