The constant swaying of the ship was a bit unpleasant for William, who had never boarded a vessel like this before. Back in his days as a magnate, maritime technology had advanced so much that yachts barely moved on the sea, making it feel like you were standing on solid ground.
His cabin was surprisingly comfortable. It had a bed, a desk, a small toilet, and a faucet. When William entered, he couldn't believe the ship had running water. He approached out of curiosity and, to his surprise, both the toilet and the sink had flowing water. No matter how much he searched, he couldn't find any pipes connected to the toilet or the faucet, which puzzled him greatly.
"Angel, help me figure out how this is possible."
"Scanning... Scan complete. The water does not come from any pipe. Inside the faucet, there is a geode that appears to generate the water flow. There is no related data in the database."
Despite his curiosity, William couldn't simply break the faucet to examine the stone, so he decided to postpone the investigation for the time being.
After checking the rest of the cabin and finding nothing unusual, he decided to go out and see if the girls were done. Before entering, they had agreed to go eat together. The old man who had handed out the rooms had mentioned that the dining hall was available to them at any hour and they didn't need to worry about missing service. However, there were a few rules aboard the ship:
First, no one was allowed to leave their cabins at night—no exceptions. Once the sun went down, everyone had to stay inside their rooms, no matter what they heard.
Second, they were forbidden from disturbing the mages on board. The consequences would be dire.
Lastly, fighting was strictly prohibited under any circumstances.
The old man had been very emphatic about the rules, and the nobles sighed in frustration—they had clearly hoped to toss William overboard at the first opportunity.
"The trip takes a year and a half to reach the first academy, Blood Rose, and six months later we'll arrive at the final stop, Black Rock," the old man had announced.
The students heading to Blood Rose Academy looked quite pleased and celebrated. Seeing this, the old man smirked mockingly and added:
"The reason you're the first stop is because your academy is so weak, it had to be built as far away as possible from the real power in the center of the continent. Not something I'd be proud of, hahaha."
The old man's words surprised William. He understood then that the academy he was headed to was likely one of the strongest in the entire organization—at least, that's how it seemed.
William left his cabin but didn't see anyone—not even the ship's crew. Since this was his first time aboard, he wandered across the deck, admiring the majestic ship. It moved at an astonishing speed. William was sure that even ships powered by turbines couldn't match this beast.
The breeze blew across his face, but the sails didn't seem to be filled—so it clearly wasn't the wind propelling this enormous vessel.
As he looked out over the deck, his companions came out of their cabins and the seven of them regrouped to eat. During the meal, however, the girls could only take a few bites before the constant motion of the ship made them nauseous. They apologized and returned to their rooms to rest.
William finished his food and kept wandering around the ship for a while. After tiring of the vastness of the ocean, he headed back to his cabin—just as he saw Aurus walking toward him.
With a gesture, William followed Aurus to his room and closed the door behind them.
"What do you think of the ship?"
"It's impressive... although I wonder what powers it, since it doesn't seem to be the wind."
"Hehe... I see. You're quite perceptive. I suppose you also noticed the running water in your cabin..."
"Yes, when I saw it, I couldn't understand where the water was coming from."
"The water comes from a stone similar to this one."
Aurus pulled a yellow stone from his pocket and handed it to William.
"This is a luminous stone. When stimulated, it generates light like this."
He squeezed the stone slightly, and it began to glow like an electric bulb, leaving William speechless.
"That look on your face—everyone makes it when they encounter magic for the first time. That reminds me, take it easy for the next few days. I'll let you know when it's time to begin your formal studies in magic."
Although Aurus's words were strange, William didn't think too much of them. He just nodded respectfully.
"I understand. I'll be ready when you say so. By the way, Lord Aurus, they told us the trip would take nearly two years. Is that true?"
"Indeed. The journey to our academy usually takes about two years, though it varies depending on a few factors. In truth, if we were heading straight to Blood Rose, the trip would only take six months. But in these waters, there are two rulers of the sea who do not allow anyone to cross their territories."
Aurus paused and sighed, as if remembering something from long ago.
"These waters are home to the Kraken and the Leviathan. Although many consider them to be mere children's tales, I assure you—they are very real. Their power is beyond your imagination. Either of them could devour this ship whole without effort. That's why the ship has to take detours between their territories. The Kraken and the Leviathan never enter each other's domains, creating a relatively safe channel that can only be used once every five years. That's why the selection process is timed specifically during that window."
"In this case," Aurus continued, "the pickup was rushed, so we might face some trouble. That's why they sent three official level-2 mages. When I volunteered, they accepted immediately. With the four of us, we might be able to hold off one of the beasts—if it came to that. Still, let's hope we don't encounter them. These monsters are no joke."
After this brief but revealing conversation, William returned to his cabin, having borrowed the glowing stone to examine it more closely.