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Chapter 69

After fulfilling their job quotas for Bermuda, all they did was indulge themselves at Atlantis Island’s expansive entertainment district. That was what their daily lives consisted of.

As usual, Conrad was drowning in revelry.

“Ah! That’s the stuff! It’s worth the 50 gold!” he exclaimed, pouring expensive liquor down his throat while taking turns groping the beautiful women sitting beside him.

A female dancer dressed in exotic attire was dancing tirelessly on the tabletop. As her skirt fluttered, the members sitting around her enjoyed themselves, watching her with hungry eyes and licking their lips.

It was a complete bacchanal.

“Hey! I’m gonna go for a round, so you guys stay put and enjoy yourselves!” he announced.

“Yes, boss!” his lackeys replied.

“You shitheads! It’s ‘captain,’ not ‘boss’! People will think we’re still just some fucking employed scoundrels! We’re a Rank A expedition team!”

He smashed the bottle in his hand against the closest member’s head. It shattered, flinging shards of glass everywhere.

“Hehe, sorry! Cap-tain!”

“It’s not that hard, so don’t make me tell you twice, bastard.”

Despite being hit on the head with a glass bottle, the member simply bowed and giggled, as everyone was at least in the Sixth Degree External Force Tier. Watching them, Conrad snickered and walked by.

Their unruly exchange was actually a sign of closeness.

They ate, drank, and laughed, and when their lust came around, they grabbed the closest woman and enjoyed themselves until they couldn’t. Then, they went back to drinking.

Such was the daily life of Santa Maria.

“Boss! I-I mean, Captain!”

Someone called for him, interrupting his revelry. Conrad’s drowsy face twisted viciously at the sound of his name. He only acted friendly when he wasn’t in a bad mood, but if someone interrupted, whether they were a team member or a passerby, blood would be spilled.

His grip unwittingly tightened, making the girls he was holding shriek.

“What did you say? Didn’t you hear me? I said I was gonna go for a round.”

“There is a message from Bermuda, apparently. You told us to tell you immediately when we receive a message from them or the Council.”

“Bring it to me.” Conrad’s face became expressionless as if the member’s words had immediately sobered him up. He took the letter into his hand.

At the Tenth Degree External Force Tier, it only took him a very brief moment of circulating his mana to wash away his intoxication. His tomato-red face returned to its normal color, and even his cognitive skills returned to normal.

Rip!

He tore open the envelope and read through its contents.

“...”

As he carefully read each word written in the letter, several different expressions crossed his face.

It was only natural. Previously, making Santa Maria into a Rank A team and living a comfortable life had been his goal, but he had no reason to reject an opportunity to climb even higher.

According to the letter from Bermuda, they could have the opportunity to climb a few rungs higher than their current status as a Rank A expedition team.

And one day, I might be able to get a seat in the Council of Atlantis and live a life rivaling that of prominent aristocrats.

He was satisfied with the amount of money and fame he had, so the only thing left to aim for was power.

Conrad could already picture his path to the Council. He was no longer in the mood for drinking.

“This should be fun. I need to go see for myself what Aquamarine’s princess is thinking,” he muttered.

He burned the letter using the Class 1 spell Ignite and left the tavern by himself, leaving his subordinates behind. They’d been day drinking, so it was just past noon.

“It’s been a while since I’ve gone to work at this time. If it turns out that they summoned me for no reason, I might need to teach them a lesson.”

Christopher Conrad, aside from being the captain of Santa Maria, was also a Rank A explorer holding the title Magic Swordsman.

As he grinned, his canine teeth glistened like a beast’s.

***

Clara, the receptionist of Bermuda’s Zephyros Hall, was shocked by what she was suddenly witnessing.

Who would have thought that Aquamarine and Santa Maria, two completely different expedition teams, would have a meeting with each other?

One was a Rank B team struggling to get by, carrying an exceedingly honorable history on their backs.

The other was a team that had managed to obtain the highest status in Bermuda, Rank A, despite its delinquency.

Frances, the captain of Aquamarine, was the first to speak.

“I suppose this is our first time meeting in person, Captain Conrad.”

Conrad snickered. “Eight years ago, I never would have seen this coming! To think that Aquamarine would be below my own expedition team. No one ever would have believed me if I had told them.”

“Indeed. Someone of your status would never have been allowed to even speak with me, don’t you think? You should be grateful for what time and luck can do.”

“... Haha.”

“Ahaha.”

Though both of them were laughing with their mouths, there wasn’t a single drop of amusement in their eyes.

Clara already felt her stomach turning.

Fortunately, the two of them didn’t spend too much time posturing.

Conrad leaned into the table and brought up the true reason they were meeting. “Care to explain what you mean when you say you’ll give me the opportunity to buy the Aquamarine? This better be worth my time, seeing how you called me here in the middle of the day.”

Clara was surprised when he heard his words. Though she’d sent along Frances’s summons, she hadn’t known what it was about.

Aquamarine had once been a legendary expedition team. Were they going to sell their vessel to Santa Maria? It was an outrageous thought for anyone who lived in the Alliance.

But Frances only replied in a cold, calm voice. “I heard about Vivian, the elf your team is holding captive. You truly have no shame, do you? Aren’t you embarrassed as someone who’s Rank A? It wasn’t enough for you to force someone into your team with a fraudulent contract, but you even demanded money from her older sister?”

“Ha! I see. That one-eyed woman must have joined you. Really, it brings tears to my eyes that you’d make an enemy out of me just for the sake of one member,” he said sarcastically, scoffing. “Sorry, but Bermuda notarized the employment contract. If it really were a scam, then they’re at fault too. Wanna go to Aiolos Hall and talk it out there?”

Aiolos Hall was known for being especially biased in favor of Rank A teams, even among Bermuda employees.

Clara had nothing to say to that and remained silent. Frances noticed Clara’s silence and realized that there was no point in interrogating him any longer.

If he were the type of person willing to admit wrongdoing and make amends, they wouldn’t have to approach him in the first place. But Frances still wouldn’t feel an ounce of guilt if both Santa Maria and Christopher Conrad fell.

“Fine. We were never planning to resolve this with words anyway.” Her eyes grew colder. It was time to carry out the plan she and Leonard had planned. “Let’s settle this with a duel.”

“Ah...?”

“If we win, you’ll hand over Vivian and all the pay you owe her for her contract, as well as your Fifth Sea District exploration permit. If you win, I’ll give you the opportunity to buy the Aquamarine.”

Conrad waved her off as if he couldn’t believe what she was saying. “Ridiculous. An opportunity to buy the Aquamarine instead of giving it for free? Do I look like that much of a pushover to you, huh?”

“You’re the one being ridiculous. The Aquamarine would go for more than that piece of junk you call a ship and all your subordinates combined. We’ll make the sale through Bermuda at the appropriate price they set, so you won’t have to worry about me running off with your money.”

She had a point. The legendary team’s vessel was covered in rare metals from its hull’s outer coating to its interior. The inside was mostly made of mithril, while the prow, which required durability, was made of adamantium. The areas with magic circuitry were made of orichalcum.

The ship was priceless due to what it could do, and even if someone broke it down and sold a few components, they could become one of the richest people in the Alliance.

Conrad wasn’t an idiot, so what he said earlier was only a way to make room for negotiations.

“All right. You’re not wrong. No, you’re not. However”—he stood from his seat—“it’s such a good deal that it makes me suspicious. I’m so curious about your master plan, princess. Perhaps I’ll be able to find it if I rip you open and dig around a bit?”

With those spine-chilling words, he let out obvious bloodlust.

As a Rank A explorer, he could slaughter everyone in the room in less than ten seconds if he wanted to. It didn’t matter that he was unarmed.

Frances had her bodyguard Marianne with her, but the difference in their power was all too clear. Clara’s face grew pale; she didn’t know whether something so atrocious could happen within Bermuda’s very walls. Frances narrowed her eyes.

It was at that moment that Marianne flared her own power. In an instant, the bloodlust in Conrad’s eyes was replaced with curiosity. With this much intensity, Marianne had to be at least in the Ninth Degree External Force Tier. In fact, it was possible that she’d even reached the Tenth Degree. With that definitive clue, all the pieces fell into place.

“Aha! I see. Yeah, I thought it was weird that Mad Dog Marianne was still in the Sixth Degree with that level of skill. Were you hiding your power this whole time so you could take me out with the element of surprise?”

“...”

“So this was Aquamarine’s secret weapon or something. But what a shame! I know now! You know that if I go around telling people, you guys will only get fucked over, right?”

When he recognized the uncertainty crossing Frances’s face for the first time, he gave a mellow smile.

“Well, it’s fine. I’m a merciful man. I accept your duel.”

“What are you planning?”

“Planning! Nothing much. Just, you know...” He looked Marianne up and down, and his lips stretched into a grin. “If this is all you’ve got, I’m sure I’ll win.”

“Even though you drown yourself in alcohol every day?” the bodyguard growled.

“I’m a genius, you see. While you spend your time diligently working hard to get stronger, I can surpass you even if all I do is eat and play.”

Whether it was magic or swordplay, it all came easily to him. Though he was having trouble crossing the threshold to become a Master, it wasn’t unlikely that he would break through within the next ten years. That was how confident he was.

He continued without stopping. “But I’ll add a few conditions. Only officially enrolled members of each expedition team can participate, so even if you bring in a former one who’s a Swordmaster or something, it won’t matter.”

“... I accept.”

“Obviously, it will be a one-on-one battle, and it will be a duel to the death. Ending it with surrender or incapacitation is boring, you know?”

Frances’s face grew pale, and she was at a loss for words. Marianne stepped in.

“It doesn’t matter to me, my lady,” she said.

“Feisty! I like it. You should believe in her too, princess!”

When Frances nodded reluctantly, his face twisted into a wicked smile.

“As for the date... well, there’s no need to drag it out, is there? Today’s a bit soon, so how about tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow?! Are you out of your mind?” Frances shouted.

“If I give you too much time, I don’t know what kind of dirty schemes you’ll pull, you know? If you refuse, I might have to end the negotiations here and tell everyone about Marianne. What do you want to do?”

Frances was about to retort, but she saw the evil flicker in his eyes and bit her lip. Conrad understood what her reaction meant and smiled. “All right now, let’s write that contract first. You there. Clara, was it?”

“Yes, Captain Christopher?”

“Don’t be so formal and call me Conrad. It’s such a shame I won’t be able to see you once I go back to Aiolos Hall, you know. The receptionists there are fine, but they’re too stiff. Women should be docile.”

“Allow me to assist you with the contract.” Clara ignored his audacious insults as she and Frances quietly began to move their pens to write up an official contract for the duel.

Once it was signed, it could not be changed or nullified.

“Captain Conrad, send Vivian to Bermuda as soon as you go back so she can wait there. Neither you nor I should be allowed to see her until the duel is over,” Frances ordered.

“But of course, I’m gonna get her back tomorrow anyway, so I won’t cause a fuss about something as small as this.”

Once he saw Clara take the contract for safekeeping, he showed his true colors. His lips stretched like the smile of a hyena about to tear into its prey, and he couldn’t hide the avarice in his eyes. This was the man who hated working and had reached Rank A with natural talent alone. His greed churned in earnest.

“Now then, I’ll see you again tomorrow at noon, Miss Frances,” he said, implying that she was already no longer a captain. He left the meeting room without looking back.

Clara, who’d kept an eye on Frances the whole time, also left the room to file the contract for their duel.

And so, only the two members of Aquamarine were left in the room.

“... Pfft.” After barely managing to hold it back, the captain burst out into laughter. “Ahahaha! Marianne, I didn’t know you could act like that!”

“It was quite difficult for me to maintain my expression,” Marianne said with a matching smile on her face. She swayed a little, but it wasn’t just from holding back her laughter.

“Oh! Are you okay?” Frances asked.

“I’m all right. Using that technique to intensify my power unexpectedly took quite a toll. I don’t think I will be able to use it very easily in an actual battle.”

“The Cardenas family sure has a lot of unique techniques. To think there was a way to trick people into thinking you were in a higher Tier. It’ll be very useful when you’re intimidating your opponent,” Frances remarked.

Using her mana in the way that Leonard had personally taught her, Marianne could give off a sense of pressure that should be impossible at her level. It was also the reason that Conrad had backed down.

“If you use this, not even that Conrad will see you as an opponent to look down upon. That is our goal.”

Imperial Sword Style

Heavenly Demon’s Dominating Steps

It was a method of mimicking a martial arts technique where a person flared their energy to its peak to take out an opponent, but the method had no practical use other than posturing. Still, had Marianne remained in the Sixth Degree External Force Tier, there was a possibility that Conrad wouldn’t have been fully fooled by their plan.

“I do not know how I can repay this debt to Leonard,” Marianne said, looking sheepish as she recalled the day he had given her the golden fruit.