The sun dipped below the horizon. Painting Grandmoon City in shades of orange.
Jack, Reina, and Aella had returned to the Ocean Wanderer, the disguised ghost ship. And so did the other crew members. They were now all in the main cabin. Enjoying their wonderful dinner.
The air in the main cabin was thick with the aroma of Don Donson's cooking. A hearty stew was simmering over a low steam-burner. Plates clattered. And the crew began to be ready to share their own observations and findings from the day.
Jack took his seat at the cabin's dining table. Reina was beside him. Rune, a constant, luminous presence, floated near Jack's shoulder. Her glow was a soft, warm yellow.
Don had served generous portions of the stew. Thick with meat and vegetables. Argust poured mugs of steaming tea. The initial chatter was light. A mingling of tired relief and anticipation.
"Alright, Everyone!" Jack said. His voice cutting through the noise. "Let's get down to it. I assume everyone get the news about the Battle Moon Tournament. Right?"
Leon Drake, seated across from Jack, was the first to speak. He pushed aside a half-eaten bread roll.
"The tournament is a massive news in the island." He said. "It has three main branches of competition, as far as I know. All of them, or at least most of them, have transcendent and non-transcendent categories."
He paused. Wiping his mouth with a napkin. "The first is the Marksmanship Mastery. Pretty straightforward, this one. Ranged weapon, precision, speed. From what I heard, competitors can use any ranged weapon. Enchanted bows, steamrune rifles, and even spells like magic missiles, lightning bolts, firebolts."
Bell, a mystic scholar, nodded. "I saw a poster for that. Seems like there were several stages, with targets that get more difficult and complicated to hit."
Argust commented. "I heard five years ago, for the last stage, the targets were the Blink Fireflies. Those tiny creatures could teleport and had high degree of danger sense. A nightmare to hit."
"It's not just testing accuracy, huh?" Jack commented. "Understandable. Otherwise, the homing magic missile would be enough to win it."
"Yeah. But it's not the main attraction. The most famous part of the competition is the Battle King Duel." Leon continued. "One-on-one combat. Anything goes within certain limits. But causing serious injury or killing the opponent will get you disqualified."
"Disqualified?" Moby asked.
"Yeah. People here seems to believe that Battle Kings must have an absolute control of their power." Leon said. "Killing or causing serious injuries means either they are unable to control their power or they have broken the rule in purpose. So, they'll be unworthy to be the Battle Kings."
Baroness Artheim chimed in. "As far as I know, the last tournament, five years ago, didn't have a Battle King Champion. The finalist was disqualified for killing the opponent."
"It's still the most popular event though. The one that draws the biggest crowds." Barnaby added.
"Interesting." Jack commented. "What about the last event?"
Leon continued his explanation. "The last event is the Great Game of Glory. This is team-based competition. Teams of five people are dropped in a spatial realm called the Moonworld Battle Zone. The objective is to be the team who killed the most monsters."
"It's the most brutal event." He said. "Many will die there. It's not just about teamwork, resourcefulness, and adaptability... Luck plays a very important part too. The spatial realm is full of deadly monsters."
"Why is it not the most popular event?" Aella asked. "It sounds the most exciting. Better than that Battle King thing."
Leon shrugged his shoulder. "Because everything happens in a different realm. Nobody could see what happens there."
He stopped for a while and said. "I personally guess this is the main purpose of the tournament. Clearing the monsters in the battle zone. The other events are likely just to attract people to come and join this event."
"Not a bad guess." Baroness Artheim responded. "It's the event with the greatest prizes. I've checked. There are some significant ones for all the events, but the prizes for this last event were definitely much better."
"What are the prizes?" Reina asked.
The baroness adjusted her glasses. "Of course, there are the usual gold coin rewards, prestige, and enchanted titles. But the real draws are the artifacts."
"For the Marksmanship Mastery..." She continued. "... the grand prize is the [Dragonhorn Bow]. A great bow imbued with a Dragon Essence and primal penetration power. It's rumored to have been used by a great archer in the past to kill a great kirin in one shot."
Sparkle, Chloe's lightning kirin cub, let out a small, angry chirp. A tiny spark jumped from his single horn. Chloe patted his head.
"For the Battle King Duel..." the baroness continued. "... the grand prize is the [Ancient Serpent Spear]. It is said to belong to an ancient sea king, capable of summoning serpent shadow and piercing through thick steel wall."
Argust stroked his beard thoughtfully. "I've heard of it. A powerful relic from the sea legends. That was already incredible. And you said the team event had a better prize?"
"Prizes." Baroness Artheim corrected him. "Fifteen artifacts for three groups of winners. Each of them had a similar quality to the [Ancient Serpent Spear]. There were even some with greater quality. Like the [Mermaid Queen Circlet] for example. An artifact that is said to grant unparalleled control over water, and communicate with marine life."
Reina raised an eyebrow. "Fifteen? So many artifacts?"
"For a single event." The baroness pointed out. "And many of them were famous artifacts. The [Divine Wine Jug], the [Cloud Weaver's Mantle], the [Sacred Angel Blade], the [Mighty War Drum]..."
Jack listened. Nodding. The prizes were indeed very enticing. Leon's suspicion seemed to be hitting the right notes.
"One particular prize, however..." Baroness Artheim continued. "... is very important for our treasure hunting mission. This prize is the [Dragon Vault Key]."
"A key?" Jack prompted curiously.
"Yes. A huge, bronze key, shaped like a great-sword. Appraised as a true key to a secret realm known as the 'Dragon Vault'. A vault believed to be the treasure chamber of the ancient dragons."
She sighed. "In the tournament, this should be one of the third-rated prizes. After all, no one knows the location of the lock that can be opened by the key. Well, except for me, probably."
"My research into the Myriad Island Archipelago, our primary treasure hunting destination, revealed an intriguing coordinate." She explained. "A geological anomaly, a strange historical record, a confluence of ley lines... all pointing to a location where such a 'Dragon Vault' might exist. This key... it might be the very item to unlock one of our key objectives."
"So, this tournament isn't just an event to watch for us?" Jack asked. "It's directly connected to our mission?"
"Precisely." Baroness Artheim confirmed. "Winning that key would save us considerable time and effort in breaching the vault. It may even be the only way to access it."
The crew exchanged glances. The mood shifted from casual discussion to focused strategic planning.
"Then it's settled." Jack declared. "We participate in the event. We win that key. Or win a better artifact to exchange with that key."
Reina nodded. Her expression was serious. "We need to get to Sweetmoon City then. That's where the tournament is held, right?"
"Correct." Argust supplied. Opening a large, folded map of Grandmoon Island and spreading it on the table. "Sweetmoon City. It's located near the Grandmoon Lake, right in the center of the island."
"There are a few ways to get there from our current Grandmoon City." He pointed to different routes on the map. "Four main routes, actually, each passing through a different town."
He traced a line. "First, through the Riverside Town. Known for its unique fish, exotic spices, and herbal ingredients. A bustling market town alongside the Grandmoon River."
Don perked up. "Fish? Herbs? Nice! We might find some rare ingredients for my culinary experiments there."
"Then there's Crownrest Town." Argust continued. Pointing to another route. "It's nestled in the foothills, known as the home of many noble families and retired scholars."
Baroness Artheim hummed thoughtfully. "Crownrest could be a good place for intelligence gathering. I do have some old friends living there."
"Next, Eldscript Town." Argust's finger moved again. "Famous for its vast library, especially its collection on medical studies and arcane healing arts. A quiet, academic place."
Serene and Autumn, the healer sisters, exchanged an interested look.
Chloe also seemed intrigued. "Medical texts could contain clues to Sparkle's development, or to physical strengthening elixir." She mumbled.
"And finally, Marevale Town." Argust concluded. Pointing to the last route. "Famed for its extensive animal ranches and a flourishing pet industry. They breed everything from common livestock to exotic mounts and mystic familiars."
Jack considered the options. Each town offered something unique. Sending everyone together seemed inefficient, given their diverse skills and goals. Splitting up would allow for more thorough intelligence gathering and a broader understanding of the island before the tournament.
"Let's split into four groups." Jack announced. "Each group takes a different route to Sweetmoon City. We gather information, observe, and avoid unnecessary attention. We meet in Sweetmoon City two days before the tournament begins. How about that?"
The crew looked at each other. No one seemed to reject the idea. It was indeed the most efficient approach.
He looked around the table. "First group... Barnaby, Mirella, Don, and Argust. You'll take the route through Riverside Town. Barnaby and Mirella, you two can gather local lore and information. Don, look for rare ingredients. Argust, it's the only route where your water manipulation power can be best utilized. Make use of it."
Argust nodded. "Understood, Captain."
Barnaby grinned. Already plucking a jaunty tune on his lute. "This would be interesting."
"Second group will be Baroness Artheim, Bell, Ned, and Moby." Jack continued. "You'll go through Crownrest Town. Baroness, you can contact your old friends and find some information about the tournament. See if you can find anything about the Moonworld Battle Zone."
The Baroness inclined her head. "An excellent idea, Captain. We shall uncover what we can."
"Third group... Leon, Chloe, Serene, and Autumn. You're heading to Eldscript Town. Leon, guard the girls and find out anything useful there. And girls... the medical library will be invaluable for your skills. Any new healing or anatomical knowledge could be vital."
Leon grinned. "Consider it done, Captain. A library full of medical secrets sounds like my kind of treasure hunt."
"And finally..." Jack said. Turning to Reina and Aella. "Reina, Aella, and I will go through Marevale Town. It's the longest route. But with my steamrune vehicles, it wouldn't be much of a problem. And perhaps there are unique mounts or familiars that might prove useful there."
Aella grinned. "Yes! The town of pets! That will be an amazing adventure."
"Alright!" Jack confirmed. "We depart just before dawn tomorrow. No unnecessary risks. Gather information. Be discreet. And above all, be safe."
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