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The three-masted vessel on the ocean was like a monster hiding in the darkness.

As soon as the two pointy-headed boats stopped beside it, two rope ladders were quietly dropped from the deck.

"Stay quiet." Tom whispered to the apprentices.

They were still teenagers. Now, suddenly, they felt very nervous. They were well aware of the fact that what was waiting for them was either their wonderland or the gallows.

Then Tom turned to Lucien, "I need to get on the ship to check first. After I make sure that the ship is safe, you arrange them to get on the ladder. Is that okay?"

"No problem." Lucien nodded, "Be careful."

Tom, who was a level two knight, patted Lucien’s shoulder, gripped the ladder and swiftly got on the ship like a shadow.

No one on the small pointy-headed boats said a single word. They were quietly waiting for Tom’s signal.

After a while, Tom dropped a white handkerchief over the rail on the boat that Lucien was on. That was their agreed symbol — it was safe.

"Spring, Katrina, you two go first," directed Lucien calmly.

The existence of a sorcerer calmed the apprentices down and also encouraged them. One by one, they secretly started climbing.

"Then Oimos and Heidi," Lucien turned around and said to them. He heard that the brown-haired teenager, Oimos, was a gifted in spiritual power, but Lucien never really paid much attention to him since the teenager boy was always very quiet.

While Oimos walked to the front of the boat and started to climb in a quick and stable way, Heidi was having a bit of a trouble there.

The fierce ocean wind was shaking her ladder relentlessly. She didn’t dare to look either upward or downward. She felt that the ocean below her feet was roaring to devour her. She wanted to scream, but she could not.

Lucien was just watching. He wanted Heidi to experience it and get the task done on her own.

Following Tom’s direction, the apprentices getting aboard quickly hid themselves.

Heidi was totally exhausted when she finally got on the deck, but thinking back to what just happened, her heart was full of pride and courage.

When all the apprentices were aboard, Lucien carried his black suitcase in his left hand and used his right hand to grasp the ladder, climbing up quickly and landing on the deck.

"Good job, Evans." Tom and a dark-skinned sailor walked to Lucien.

Lucien nodded to them and followed them into the cabins under the deck.

When walking down the stairs, an intolerable stench of sweat mixed with other smells overwhelmed Lucien. It was very dark down there, and the only light in the space came from the candle that the sailor was holding.

At this time, other two sailors came their way from the corner.

All the apprentices and even Lucien got suddenly very nervous.

Just when Lucien was about to cast Charm Person regardless of the divine power circles for detecting magic on the ship, the two sailors walked to them and nodded to Tom.

"Everything okay?" asked Tom.

"Yes, as usual." The two sailors turned sideways to let them keep going forward.

Seeing that Lucien and the other apprentices were rather confused, Tom smiled and said to them in a low voice, "I’m the boatswain here."

The teenagers were now even more surprised.

"There are many divine power circles on Viscount Wright’s ship, and even pastors." Tom explained, "If the ship was totally strange to me, how could I get you guys in and get you food and water? It’s a trip that will last close to one month..."

Just like its name suggested, the Storm Strait that they were going to cross was not too wide. However, the thunder and lightning, together with the outraged waves and wind, often prevented a ship from going on its full speed, and sometimes, a ship had to stop to wait for a better condition.

Although many sorcerers tried to explore why the strait was full of thunder and lightning and strong wind, no conclusion was made yet.

Hearing that, Lucien could imagine how bad Viscount Wright’s merchant fleet had been permeated by Granneuve, who was predominantly in charge of the labor maket in Sturk. Lucien was thinking whether the viscount, as a grand knight, was aware of this problem.

Then, following Tom, Lucien and the apprentices came to the cargo section, which was on the second lowest floor of the ship and was full of assorted stinky smells.

In a secret corner, however, there was a line of very small and narrow cabins, which did not look like they were originally built for people to live in there, but now they were relatively clean and there were hammocks in the cabins.

"Two apprentices will share one cabin. Mr. Evans will have his own cabin," arranged Tom. "You can’t leave this floor during the trip. No magic, and only meditation is allowed. When you walk around on this floor, be careful, because from time to time some sailors will come down and check the cargo. When we get to Holm, the suffering will pay off."

After Tom left, the apprentices went back to their cabins with candles.

Layria and Heidi shared one cabin. As soon as they opened the cabin door, the two girls exchanged an excited look, and then they noticed that Annick was walking past, "Hey, Annick! You heard that we cannot use magic on the ship, didn’t you?" asked Heidi excitedly.

"Yes, of course." Annick nodded, "We all have to bear that in mind, or we’ll be in great trouble."

"I mean... we finally can take a rest from continuously practicing magic casting!" Heidi happily raised one of her brows.

"And sleep late!" celebrated Layria.

"We... we should still practice..." Although he was saying that, Annick also grinned out of joy.

"What are you three talking about?" There came a familiar, gentle voice.

"Nothing... Mr. Evans." The apprentices hurriedly bowed to Lucien, but the smile was still on their faces.

Lucien nodded, "Since we can’t practice casting right now, then we shall work on some exercises. Tomorrow afternoon, arcana and magic basics."

"What..." The smile on the three apprentices’ face totally disappeared in a second.

...

Although Lucien was planning on teaching the apprentices more on the ship, his schedule was completely messed up by the reality. After the sailboat went back to the wharf and then sailed toward Storm Strait together with the other ships of the fleet, both Layria and Heidi bitterly suffered seasickness and the situation got worse when they entered the strait.

Layria and Heidi were not alone on that situation, and even Sprint and Katrina were no exception. Most of the apprentices were sick, and often they threw up in the cabins.

Surprisingly, however, the skinny, always silent Oimos appeared to be fine.

Luckily, the several deaf and dumb slaves sent by Tom who were responsible for bringing them food and water and fruit were also cleaning the vomitus.

This day, Lucien and Annick were hiding among some wooden boxes and talking about building magic models.

During the break, Annick asked worriedly, "When do you think Layria and Heidi can get better, Mr. Evans?"

"Maybe in another two days." Lucien was leaning against one of the wooden boxes to keep balance as the ship was shaking fiercely again from the storm, "Spiritual power can help, and so does the herb oil sent by Tom. I feel like they’re getting better already, aren’t they?"

When Annick was just about to answer, his mouth was quickly covered by Lucien.

And their candle was also put out.

"Shoo... Someone’s here," whispered Lucien.

Annick nodded.

Through the gap between the two wooden boxes, a young man’s voice came, "My dear Chely, you’re my sun! Without you, I am in endless darkness, even praying could not save me!"

"Jacques, me too!" Next came a lady’s sweet and gentle voice, "But recently my father is always around, and the maids are also watching me closely..."

Lucien relaxed a bit. It was just a pair of lovers.

"I don’t get it, Chely." The young man sounded sorrowful. "Why does the viscount want his daughter to go all the way to Holm to study in a convent... There’re lots of them in Sturk!"

"The viscount... Viscount Wright?" Lucien was quite surprised. "The viscount is on this ship?"

Then, the terrifying thunder started to grumble again.