At the port of Asroba, a small merchant ship sat docked at the shore.
Loading workers carried box after box aboard, methodically stacking them across the wide deck.
Between loads, more than a few of them kept glancing over at the rest platform not far off.
There, Chase, freshly arrived from the abandoned lighthouse, was deep in conversation with a heavyset, full-bearded man.
The man’s name was Lambert, captain of the merchant ship about to set sail, hauling Asroba’s local goods across to the far side of the continent for trade.
“I see.
So you’re the mage Marshall recommended.” Lambert turned the letter of introduction over in his hands, thinking it over.
“We’re glad to have a mage from a legitimate guild along for the trip, but…” “Honestly, the seas haven’t been peaceful lately.
Pirates everywhere.
If this run didn’t pay so well, we wouldn’t be taking the risk at all.” “So if something does happen out there, I can’t promise we’ll be able to keep you safe.” This guy’s got a beer belly and the whole look of a ruthless old merchant who only cares about profit.
Didn’t expect him to be this upfront about it.
Chase filed the thought away, but on the surface just waved a hand and laughed.
“Don’t worry about that.
If we actually run into pirates, they’re the ones who’ll need protecting.” Seeing how sure of himself Chase was, Lambert dropped the subject.
“We set sail in about half an hour.
Look after us till then.” For a shrewd, calculating merchant like Lambert, agreeing so easily wasn’t pure generosity.
There was self-interest in it too.
Marshall’s story had become common knowledge around Asroba by now, and everyone knew that any mage willing to take his commission had to be genuinely strong.
Having someone like that along for the ride was basically free extra protection.
Why turn that down?
“Likewise,” Chase said, shaking his hand.
As if something had just come back to him, Lambert asked, “Oh, by the way, we’ve also hired the Black Pheasant Legs guild to escort us this trip.
You know them, Mr.
Chase?” Chase didn’t mention that he was actually a Fairy Tail mage.
“Black Pheasant Legs?” Chase frowned, surprised.
Back when I was riding the Giant Soldier of Stone home, some reckless idiot got in my way.
Claimed to be the strongest mage of this exact guild, if I remember right.
Why does this tiny nothing guild keep turning up everywhere I go?
“You don’t recognize the name?” “I’ve heard it mentioned, but my guild’s never had much to do with them.” “Ah.
Shame, that.
Black Pheasant Legs is pretty well known around these parts.” “Asroba is really behind the times,” Chase muttered, mostly to himself.
“Sorry, what was that?” Chase just laughed and shook his head.
A guild whose ‘strongest member’ probably couldn’t even take Macao in a fight, and somehow they’re the famous ones around here?
Honestly, hard to say if Asroba’s just this out of the loop, or if Fairy Tail’s reputation is just that far ahead of everyone else.
Just as Chase was turning that over, the sound of boots on the boards nearby caught his attention.
“Ah, they’re back.” Following where Lambert pointed, three mages in matching uniforms came walking toward them.
Two men, one woman, same lineup as Team Shadow Gear back home.
One of the men had bags slung over both shoulders, all but groveling under the weight of them, while the woman walked along completely empty-handed.
Yeah, I get it.
I get the whole picture here.
But why does the uniform have to match the group dynamic so perfectly…?
The déjà vu hit hard enough that Chase couldn’t help the internal complaint, like watching the shadow of an old friend walk right past him.
“Mr.
Lambert, where’s the cargo?
Are we ready to cast off?” The woman leading the group had short red hair, unremarkable looks, and an easy, generous manner about her.
“Just a moment, almost ready,” Lambert said, smiling.
“And who’s this?” The woman noticed Chase off to the side.
“Another mage.
He’ll be boarding with us.” “You didn’t trust Black Pheasant Legs enough, so you brought in outside help?” one of the male escorts asked, clearly put out.
Lambert was quick to explain.
“No, no, Mr.
Chase came recommended by a friend.” “Chase?
That name rings a bell somehow…” The woman propped her chin on one hand, brow furrowed, studying him carefully.
After a few seconds of failing to place it, she gave up and just pointed at him.
“Hey, which guild are you with?” Lambert’s ears perked up too, curious himself which guild had produced the mage willing to take on Marshall’s commission.
Normally, an S-Class mage of Fairy Tail was hard to miss, especially someone like Chase, who’d once topped Sorcerer Weekly’s “Destruction King” rankings outright.
But the situation now was exactly like what Mira had told him back at the guild.
More than a year out of Fiore, and he’d already been pushed off the list by rising stars like Natsu and Gray, faded almost entirely out of the public eye.
“Ah, let’s not talk about my guild.” Chase scratched his head, sighing theatrically.
“Compared to your Black Pheasant Legs, we’re really nothing special.” The reason he wasn’t rushing to defend his family’s honor wasn’t patience, and it definitely wasn’t discretion.
It was something else entirely.
Out here, reputation is something you build yourself.
Nobody hands it to you.
And if I spill everything now, where’s the dramatic reveal later?
Although he couldn’t say exactly why yet, Chase was completely convinced this voyage was going to run into pirates.
No question about it.
In the meantime, with Black Pheasant Legs and their two mages holding the front line, he could hang back in the shadows and gather whatever information he could.
“It can’t be easy, running a small guild like yours.
We’re not the ones this commission was written for, but we’re all legitimate guilds here, so helping each other out is just how it works.” Seeing Chase’s slightly lost expression, the woman jumped to a conclusion, stepped closer, and patted his shoulder reassuringly.
“Don’t worry, we’ll protect you if things get dangerous!” “…Thanks.” Looking at her warm, genuinely kind smile, Chase felt a small, guilty pang of shame, and thanked her properly.
His subdued, apologetic manner got read by the other male escort as a simple lack of confidence.
“Hey, don’t sweat it.
With the Unbeatable Trio backing you up, you can relax!” What kind of team name is that supposed to be?
“Ha.
Haha.” Chase managed an awkward laugh and kept scratching the back of his head.
Before long, the whole group had warmed up to each other well enough.
When Lambert called for boarding, they all climbed aboard the merchant ship together.
“By the way, Mr.
Lambert, your ship’s sturdy, right?” Just as they cast off, Chase asked, apropos of nothing.
“Don’t you worry.
Not even the biggest storm’s taking this thing down,” Lambert said, patting his own chest, confident.
The Black Pheasant Legs mage shook his head, giving Chase a look of pure pity.
“A small guild’s a small guild, all right.
Scared of everything, even out here on open water.” He wasn’t wrong, actually.
Chase really was a little scared.
Captain Lambert’s actually a pretty decent guy.
I’m just worried I might get careless later, not paying enough attention, and end up taking the whole boat apart, crew included.
The white sails caught the glow of a magic array, and the merchant ship pulled slowly away from shore, out toward the churning sea beyond.
Before long, the city’s outline sank below the horizon, replaced entirely by open water in every direction.
The first half of the voyage went smoothly enough, smooth enough that they passed straight through the areas pirates were known to frequent without a single incident.
But just as Lambert’s nerves finally started to settle, and he pulled out a bottle of his best champagne to celebrate a clean, uneventful trip with Chase and the rest of them, a sharp alarm cut through the air on deck, followed almost immediately by the lookout’s panicked scream.
“No, this is bad!
Pirates!
Ship at five o’clock, closing fast!”