Reborn with the Conquest System-Chapter 53: Marion

He raised his hand, the people tensing up at the gesture. The captain’s smile had long since disappeared, replaced with a scowl.

"If I meant to kill you, none bar your captain would still be standing. So what’s it going to be, lass?"

As he spoke, bloodlust spilled forth from him, causing the rest of the people on the deck to buckle.

Only the captain looked at him, her eyes locked onto his.

"A maniac who has nothing to lose and too much power. Just what I needed. Atil, you’re not getting pay for the next 3 months."

She raised her hand as well, imitating his gesture.

"Calm down, and all of you should also put away your weapons."

He withdrew his aura, and the crew was freed from the suppression. Looking at him with expressions of fear and anger, they continued to stare at the two of them.

The captain signalled to follow, and Magnus kept his distance from her. Now standing at the rear of the ship, the captain gave instructions not to get close.

"So, Magnus. You said your journey so far has been eventful, but it should’ve started somewhere. Where is that?"

"I joined Azel after being beaten up. That’s about all there is. As for the city I was from, it was Grandia."

"Hmm... That’s quite far from here. How did you survive so long out in the sea?"

"If a fish comes to me, I eat it. Rainwater kept me from dying from thirst. That’s it, really."

"But you suffer traces of decompression sickness?" Her gaze sharpened.

’How the hell does she know!?’ Inwardly he was shocked, yet he tried to maintain a pokerface.

"Look, it’s a long story. I don’t want to say more than that."

"Hmm... I can accept that."

"Your turn. You’re too clean to be pirates, so you’re either privaters or a ragtag bunch of sailors searching for adventure. Alas, the ship is too good to be the latter.’

"Correct, we’re in the service of the Azelian crown." She paused, her lips parting into a smile, "We deal in war."

"Sinking ships and plundering them in the name of a country, must be nice."

"It almost sounds like you wish to join us?" Her now expressionless face turned to look at him.

"Not really. I’ll hitch a ride for a bit, then get off on solid ground." He paused, changing the wording, "Well, a large amount of solid ground. Wouldn’t wanna be stuck on a rock in the middle of the sea, after all."

"Oh and you expe—"

"I’ll catch my own food, so I won’t be eating your supplies. And water hasn’t been an issue so far." He cut her off, annoyed.

"But you’re still getting a ride for free, so give me something in exchange." Her eyes locked with his, her mana surging outward as the air heated up.

"Like?" Not to be outdone, the lightning crackled around his body.

"A favor." She rubbed her chin, staring into the air.

"Huh?" Confused, the lightning around him fizzled out.

"Yeah, a favor." Now certain about her decision, she turned to look at him. "I call, you answer. Your life won’t be at stake, that much I can guarantee."

"...That’s vague."

"It’s meant to be. Favours come in many shapes and sizes, and in this business, having many of them means you live longer." The pressure she emitted vanished like an illusion, a smile on her face.

"Well... Doesn’t sound too bad. I accept."

She extended her hand once more.

"I’m not shaking your hand, a verbal promise will do." Magnus voiced his complaints, and she retracted her hand.

He quietly muttered under his breath. "Who knows if I’m gona get teleported into the middle of nowhere again."

"Ahem. Heard that." She covered her mouth, stifling a laugh.

"Good. Don’t need to repeat myself then." His serious expression was replaced with a relaxed look. "Where or when will I get my ass on solid ground?"

"Not anytime soon, I’m afraid. There’s a month until we reach Port Sagil, and before that it’s mostly small islands we’ll be visiting." She looked over the railing, her eyes fixated on the fog behind the ship.

"Well... Could be worse, I guess. You still haven’t introduced yourself yet, cap."

"Just call me cap for now." She replied, her eyes still fixed on a spot in the fog.

"Fine. Where do I sleep?"

"Doubt you’d trust any of us, so the lowest deck has a free cabin for passengers. Small but alone. I trust you won’t try anything suspicious on my ship?"

"I’m not planning to be adrift for a few months. I got things to do and places to be."

"A home to return to?" She replied absentmindedly.

"A home..." Magnus murmured, lost in thought as he stared at the rolling fog.

’Come to think of it... what even should I call my home?’

’The elves? All dead, burnt to ashes by Azel’ s warmachinery.’

’Azel? The place where I really started learning about this world. But it never was mine? A lone checkpoint in my path, with a few familiar faces that I passed by...’

He rubbed his left arm, the memories of it being cut off still lingering in his mind. Bastil’s laughter, Leo’s annoying voice. The medic who healed him after sparring with Bastil.

’Charlotte and Elara, no clue what they are up to right now. It felt nice travelling with them, even if it was... Hectic.’

’What is even left for me? My memories wiped, the faces of the people from my previous life and this erased like they never existed. The only thing I have is the chatterbox responsible for it.’

[Rude. Stop thinking about it.]

’Can you blame me? Every time I’ve built up things — they’re taken away from me by a twist of fate. Even the people in the fortress were left behind, their future uncertain inside of the orc infested wasteland.’

The faces of the dwarves flashes through his mind. The girl with her arm gone. The old woman. The warrior.

’What’s left?’

[You, yourself, Magnus.]

He closed his eyes. The words sunk him further.

’But I have no place to call my own. No family. No friends. Just this drifting shell... again.’

"I guess you’re a lost soul as well?" The captain’s quiet voice echoed in his ear.

Seeing him not respond, she gently spoke in his ear before leaving him.

"If you don’t have one, I accept any lost souls aboard."

Stuck gazing at the rolling for an unknown amount of time, he slowly made his way down to the passangers cabin. Along the way, he asked some wary crew members for directions before he found it.

The green paint had long since weathered away, revealing the old wood underneath. A simple bed with a rag barely big enough to cover his upper body and a straw pillow.

He sprawled on the bed, the captain’s words repeating in his mind as he drifted off to sleep.

---

Elsewhere on the ship.

"Cap is too trusting. How could she allow someone like that to get a cabin!" A raspy voice spoke in the darkness.

"Aye, don’t need any seawater monsters aboard the ship." Another voice echoed.

"What about his mana, captain wouldn’t lie about that!" A third voice echoed, much younger than the other two.

"There’s ways to conceal that. Don’t forget, the Ark of Lost Ages claimed many sailors through trials like these!"

The mention of the arc caused a heavy silence to descend.

"We move at dawn. No objections. For cap and the Marion."

"For cap and the Marion!" The two voices echoed.