Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 303 The Captain Who Left the Team

Incidentally, Lawrence was also in charge of the bottle-smashing ceremony when the ship was launched. However, whether the bottle was too sturdy or what, it didn't break at all when it was released; it rolled all the way to the bottom of the river and disappeared without a trace.

The scene fell silent, and Lawrence could only force a smile and say, "Look, our Seawolf is just as sturdy as this bottle."

Shhh!!

However, some unconvinced viewers jeered, "Didn't the bottle sink?"

The lecherous old man, his face dark with anger, pretended not to hear and watched as the iron boat slowly sailed through the estuary toward the Sword Sea. A sense of unease rose in Lawrence's heart.

This kind of fantastical idea could only be concocted by the boss himself, but what would happen if it were actually put into practice is anyone's guess.

As the Seawolf sailed further and further away, passing the funnel-shaped mouth of the estuary, it seemed poised to head towards an even wider expanse of sea.

Just then, the Seawolf's rather short and stocky hull began to rock, and its waterline gradually deepened.

Could it be?

Amidst the excited and subtly expectant gazes of the crowd, the ironclad ship Seawolf, which had just undergone a launching ceremony and was embarking on its first voyage after modifications, sank to the icy depths of the northern Sword Sea, its final resting place.

There was no surprise, no regret. The onlookers watched with a smug satisfaction, as if they had known all along, as this monster, which was completely different from their preconceived notions, sank to the bottom of the sea.

They whispered among themselves about their foresight, criticizing how a tin box without even a mast could sail, while secretly glancing at Lawrence, whose brow was furrowed and face gloomy.

The latter completely ignored these gazes, and with a cold face, led the two tall figures behind him back to the camp.

Moments later, the onlookers suddenly erupted in excitement, spreading their stories of what they had seen and heard that day faster than the wind.

For a time, the Money Gang's foolish iron boat became the talk of the town in Luskan, and the gang itself closed its doors, seemingly to avoid the limelight or to regroup.

The Finger Gang, who had been under pressure from the Money Gang, was overjoyed. The restless Dom turned to Arden and, with his help, decided to launch a counterattack and purge against Shining Coin.

But how could they possibly agree?

Arden knew perfectly well that talking about a counterattack without even a script was just a grand musical, and all the ups and downs were pre-arranged.

Arden and Maginot, who had already secured their hefty rewards, had no time to bother upsetting their bosses.

Peace is the most precious thing!

Arden dismissed the other party's request with a casual remark.

Having been rebuffed, Dom didn't have the guts to go looking for trouble with the Money Gang all by himself, and in the end, he had no choice but to give up.

Arden was quite adept at networking. Upon learning the news, he secretly paid a visit to Shining Gold Coin, but failed to meet the mage in person. He offered to introduce some excellent shipbuilding craftsmen to Nancy, who was in charge of the daily duties, but was declined.

Something was off. On the way back, Arden couldn't shake the feeling that the other party didn't seem frustrated at all by the failure of their shipbuilding project. No, the people from the Money Gang gave him the impression that they didn't even care about it, yet the atmosphere was strangely unsettling.

Shaking his head, Arden decided not to think about it anymore. After all, the guy's strangeness was beyond the comprehension of someone as "honest and law-abiding" as himself.

Meanwhile, inside the Shining Gold Coin base, Nancy, who had just maintained a calm and composed demeanor, had dropped her pretense and was grumbling to her assistant, Talinda:

"Doesn't this bastard consider the feelings of his teammates at all? He just went to that godforsaken place by himself, and does that piece of junk even work? It sounded unreliable from the start, but he actually made it, and he actually dared to go into the water."

"Please don't use the word 'we.' No one questions the captain's decision. At least I don't think it's a dangerous thing for him."

The female elf spoke her mind clearly and directly, leaving the female thief speechless.

"But infiltrating alone..."

Nancy wanted to say something, but Talinda silenced her with her next words:
"I think you may not have a clear understanding of what kind of abilities a spellcaster who has touched the fifth ring of the magic network possesses."

"However, based on what I've observed over this period of time, if even the captain can't handle the danger, then adding a few of us wouldn't really change anything."

Talinda's words were a bit sharp and even hurtful. Everyone has always been used to their captain's strong methods to solve and deal with all kinds of troubles, but there is a problem that no one has ever thought about deeply: the growing gap in strength between the two sides.

This guy is progressing way too fast.

Needless to say, when he was first trained under her, he was practically at her mercy, being molded and manipulated at will.

When the team was first formed, that guy hadn't even stepped into the threshold of a mid-level combatant yet. It was just that his advantages in combat tactics and various strange methods made him impossible to judge by his apparent level.

To this day, in less than half a year, he has crossed two levels and become a spellcaster who has mastered the fifth-circle arcane spells.

Even though Nancy wasn't from a family of magicians like Talinda, and her understanding of this area wasn't deep, it didn't stop her from knowing that a level nine mage could be considered a backbone force in any mage organization, and it wasn't impossible for them to even be a leader.

This doesn't even include his warrior side job and those summoned creatures that defy all conventional logic.

And what about their own teammates?
It's not that they haven't made progress. Even Lawrence, the old thief with the lowest combat strength, has honed his shooting skills and some close combat abilities through training and actual combat after this long and rich journey. He has finally lived up to the title of intermediate combatant.

Needless to say, even Nancy felt her combat strength had improved significantly, but compared to this wicked disciple...

The widening gap in strength naturally leads to the marginalization of roles and influence, as can be seen from the composition of teams in several major battles.

Nowadays, Canaan's combat squads are often composed of a mix of summoned creatures and members, with the two complementing each other, and sometimes the former even playing a greater role in the battle.

Just as Nancy was at a loss for words, Lawrence spoke up.

(End of this chapter)