Dusk was approaching. Ed hurried toward the ship in the port, carrying his nearly empty suitcase and backpack. He wore leather pants and a colorful shirt, with a holster and two guns secured in place. Ammunition was arranged on his belt, and the 12 cards were fastened to its right side, buckled for quick access.
Originally, he and Raila had planned to spend only six hours together, but a mix of excitement and sadness over his departure made them lose track of time. Had it not been for Aunt Marcy coming to remind him, while also scolding them both severely, he would surely have missed the ship.
He managed to calm her down by mentioning that she needed to take care of his child, and while she was still shocked by his words, he slipped away.
Upon reaching the port, Ed finally saw the beautiful ship Sigurd had mentioned that morning. It was just as described, large and impressive.
It was a three-masted sailing warship, similar in shape to a galleon, approximately 30 meters long. A massive, single-horned beast figurehead adorned the bow. The entire ship was painted blue and white, with intricate patterns on both sides. A gun deck was visible below, though the muzzles were currently covered.
The vessel looked striking and might even offer some degree of concealment at sea, though likely not much.
Andre stood at the bow, arms folded, watching Ed's hurried approach with clear disapproval. Noticing Ed's gaze, he tilted his head coldly, signaling him to come aboard. His stern expression didn't soften, clearly unhappy with a teammate who didn't take timing seriously.
At the foot of the boarding plank stood a young man in his twenties with short, curly brown hair and light freckles across his cheeks. Slim and slightly shorter than Ed, he wore a cotton short-sleeved shirt, brown linen trousers, waterproof short boots, and a sailor's dagger at his waist. He approached Ed with a warm smile.
"You're Edward, right? Come on, let's go up. We've been waiting for you a long time. If you'd been ten minutes later, you'd have missed a golden opportunity."
He familiarly reached to take Ed's luggage, but Ed shifted away and politely declined with a faint smile, saying he didn't want to trouble a new teammate so soon. The young man seemed satisfied with this respectful response and, nodding understandingly, led him onto the ship.
No sooner had Ed stepped onto the deck than Andre approached him.
"Learn the importance of being on time, brat. I'll let it slide this once, but there won't be a next time."
Ed didn't take Andre's words too seriously, after all, without Raila here, he was unlikely to lose track of time again. He simply nodded with a smile and handed over the signed contract from his pocket. Andre took it, glanced over it, nodded, and pressed his thumb into the upper left corner. Ed thought he saw a faint glimmer of light.
"Did you see that light just now?" Andre asked, his expression unchanging as he observed Ed's reaction.
Ed nodded, confused. "I saw a flash, yes."
"Good. It seems you've been exposed to magic," Andre noted. He then turned to the young sailor. "Hamo, take Edward to his room. Get him some personal items and familiarize him with the ship."
He looked back at Ed and continued, "Once you're settled, come to the captain's cabin. I'll explain your duties. Be mentally prepared."
"No problem, Captain," Ed replied with the enthusiasm expected of someone his age. It was better to act low-key around mysterious individuals with magical abilities, who knew if they could read minds or uncover his secrets? He needed to stay cautious until he understood their capabilities.
Andre gave a brief nod to Hamo, who patted Ed's shoulder cheerfully.
"Come on, Edward, I'll show you where you'll be staying. You can leave your things there."
"Thank you for your help," Ed said politely.
Hamo scratched his head, a hint of pride on his face. "No need to thank me. We're all partners on this ship now. This way."
He led Ed toward the stern, where a single-story deckhouse stood. A central door and a smaller side door were visible.
Hamo chattered happily as they walked. "The middle one is the captain's cabin. The door on the left is the emergency medical room, go there immediately if you're injured or sick. Now, let's go this way."
He guided Ed along the side passage of the deckhouse, where several doors were neatly arranged.
"The first room is the ship's drafting room and Miss Elena's quarters."
Miss? A woman? Ed felt a flicker of surprise. It was relatively rare to have female crew members on a ship. Sea voyages could last from ten days to half a month, and not everyone could restrain their inner beasts; incidents involving female crew were not unheard of among ordinary ships. But this was clearly no ordinary ship; things might be different here.
They stopped at the second door. Hamo pulled the handle and pushed it open.
"This is your room. Main and trainee crew members usually stay in the poop deck."
Ed followed him inside. The room was a compact, separate space. A simple single bed stood against the far wall, with a wardrobe at its foot. Near the door was a sturdy wooden table and chair, an oil lamp hanging above it. A small bookshelf stood nearby, empty for now.
Then Ed noticed a separate toilet in the corner. His eyes lit up. During his time on the merchant ship, using the restroom had been a nightmare. Only he and his sore backside knew how much he'd suffered. Thankfully, seasickness had limited his meals, so he'd only needed the toilet twice during the entire journey. Some memories were better left unspoken.