Chapter Sixteen: The Extraordinary

After hearing Count Clay's words, Hughes and the others could only obediently return to their rooms to pack their things. At this moment, none of them had the power to change their circumstances; all they could do was comply. In the eyes of others, their abilities were nothing short of laughable. Not joining the Academy of Sorcery was obviously out of the question. Although they didn’t know why they had to depart for the academy so suddenly, the three of them simply began to gather their belongings.

Hughes returned to his room and started to collect his possessions, only to realize he didn’t have much worth taking. He packed simply—a few changes of clothes, the magic stones Count Clay had given him, the Ring of Shadow he wore at all times, and his longsword. That was all he owned.

He took out the ring he always carried, studying it closely. “I’ll need to find an opportunity to ask those wizards about this. If the Ring of Shadow is connected to them, that could be to my advantage.”

The sky, like a weeping child, had been pouring rain since the night before. It continued now, the sea breeze mingling with the scent of salt as waves crashed against the shore. The great sailing ship loomed before them, the dim sky deepening the melancholy of their departure.

Count Clay approached Hughes but said nothing. He merely patted Hughes on the shoulder.

Hughes felt a sudden sting in his nose. In his previous life, he’d been an orphan and had never experienced such emotion. In that brief gesture, he felt a thousand unspoken words, though not a single one was uttered aloud.

“As long as you all take care of yourselves, that’s enough. If you meet those with ill intentions, steel your heart—show no mercy. Act decisively and cleanly; don’t leave anyone grounds to hold things over you...”

The more Hughes listened, the more wrong it sounded. They were only leaving to study at the Academy, not to commit crimes. Why did it sound so much like advice for murderous rogues? He shot Count Ulroth a curious look.

Count Ulroth, noticing Hughes’s gaze, realized he’d strayed from the point and quickly stopped.

“All right, enough. You’d best be on your way—those wizards have been waiting long enough. Off you go.” Count Ulroth tried to act nonchalant, but it was clear to everyone that he was reluctant to see them go.

Despite Leah’s obvious sadness, the three still boarded the ship.

“Hey, you’re here! There’s been a bit of trouble at the academy, so we need to return early. But don’t be down—the journey ahead will be quite exciting! Hahaha!” As soon as Hughes stepped aboard, he spotted Wizard Charlie enjoying the sea breeze.

“Good morning, Master Charlie,” Hughes greeted, and Bors and Leah quickly followed suit.

Wizard Charlie nodded. “Go to the second deck and choose a room for yourselves. Once you’ve settled your things, come to the dining hall for a meal.”

Following his instructions, the three made their way to the second deck and each chose a cabin. The rooms were sparsely furnished: a bed, a table, a chair, and a candlestick—nothing more. It was clear no one had lived in them for some time.

Hughes placed his belongings on the table, but kept his ring carefully with him, unwilling to be careless. After arranging his things and locking his door, he headed to the dining hall, where several cooks had already set food on the table.

From a quick glance around, Hughes surmised that the people now gathered in the hall comprised the entire crew and passengers of the vessel. His curiosity about the ship’s propulsion grew stronger.

Besides the four wizards, there were six young people about Hughes’s age, including Bors, Leah, and Norman Cohen, whom Hughes recognized.

“Masters, is this really all of us?” Hughes couldn’t help voicing his question.

Wizard Charlie glanced at him, wiping his mouth. “Of course not. If we were only taking you, why make such a long and arduous journey?”

Wizard Evan joined in, “Indeed! We’ll be stopping at other coasts as well. But we are pressed for time. On the day of the test, however, I’ll allow you all a day of free time.”

“So that’s how it is. I knew there couldn’t be only six of us,” Hughes thought, not noticing the second half of Evan’s statement.

After the meal, with nothing else to do, Hughes and the others wandered to the deck to watch the sea.

The ship sailed swiftly, slicing through the waves like a blade. Hughes found the sea breeze invigorating.

“Hey, let’s all get to know each other,” Norman Cohen suggested, sensing the heavy atmosphere. “We’re all from the same place, and who knows? We might end up at the same academy and be able to help each other.”

“I’ll go first. I’m Norman Cohen—you probably know me,” he said, looking at Hughes.

“I’m Hughes Brook.”

“Bors Eirling.”

“Leah Eirling,” they introduced themselves in turn.

“I’m Linus Towaz,” mumbled a chubby, freckled boy with his head down, clearly a bit shy.

“Brad Lucien,” said the last, a boy with a cold expression who, having spoken, turned his gaze back to the sea, uninterested in further conversation.

“Chip, bring up the data on these three,” Hughes thought, and called up their profiles.

“Beep! Norman Cohen: Strength 1.2, Agility 1.0, Constitution 1.4, Status: Healthy.”

“Beep! Linus Towaz: Strength 0.9, Agility 0.7, Constitution 1.0, Status: Healthy.”

“Beep! Brad Lucien: Strength 1.7, Agility 1.5, Constitution 1.4, Status: Healthy.”

“Oh? This Brad Lucien is something else,” Hughes thought, seeing the stats. Of the group, only Brad Lucien had clearly trained.

The others, including Bors and Leah, were about average—ordinary people.

“Hey, what do you think this ship is called?” Norman Cohen seized another opportunity to speak. “Do you think it has a name? Maybe we should name it ourselves?”

“Shut it, Cohen! This ship’s been around for years, of course it has a name,” Bors retorted, his tone sharp. Living in the same city, he was used to putting Norman in his place.

“You—” Norman bristled at being interrupted.

“This ship does have a name,” Wizard Charlie’s voice interrupted.

“Master Charlie,” everyone saluted together.

Charlie seemed oblivious to them, running his hand over the ship’s mast.

“This vessel is called the Extraordinary. All who are taken aboard the Extraordinary are destined, in time, to transcend the ordinary, to gain powers beyond the reach of common folk, to become wizards. When I was your age, I too was brought to the academy by this very ship.”

“Unbelievable—it’s been two hundred years already. So much to remember,” he said, a look of nostalgia and happiness on his face.

The group stood speechless, waves of astonishment crashing in their hearts. None of them could have imagined that this dignified, aristocratic old man was actually two centuries old—simply incredible.

Even after Charlie left, they remained in stunned silence.

In the days that followed, Hughes and the others were not idle. On deck, he taught Bors and Leah swordsmanship. Norman Cohen came by several times, trying to strike up conversations and form a group centered on himself, but after being rebuffed and seeing Hughes’s strength, he stopped looking for trouble.

Linus Towaz often spent time with Norman, though it was unclear what stories Norman was filling his head with.

Brad Lucien had challenged Hughes to a duel once. With his average attribute score of 4.0, Hughes defeated him in a single move, without even needing the chip’s auxiliary functions.

Afterward, Brad exchanged a few words with Hughes, all about swordsmanship.

The wizards, of course, knew Hughes was constantly training, but said nothing. Clearly, they looked down on such methods. In their eyes, the crude training of ordinary people could hardly compare to the powers wielded by wizards.