During his growth phase of 12 to 17 years of age, he was involved in the extreme training with Oliver, and even exercised with the 2nd unit of the imperial palace guards, in parallel. It was the result of having had a much better diet than in the former life, and consistently taking high quality elixir
“Forget about it. I don’t look forward to having an unfortunate funeral on the ship.”
Yet, he did not appear to be physically satisfactory to the coarse seaman. That was only expected. If only the muscle mass was to be compared, even Oliver would not exceed being on the average side, at best here.
‘Of course, his strength would be stronger than any others.’
It would probably be the same for Ian as well. His body can even wield mana. How can he be compared to the strengths of ordinary seamen? Of course he didn’t need to explain as he did not come to seek work on the ship.
“That wasn’t it either. I just have something to ask…..”
“Hey, you! You want to sink the cargo to the bottom of the sea? Three of you carry them together! Show off your strength before your wife, you little bastard!”
The coarse looking seaman screamed, looking down at the workers. He no longer seemed interested in talking to Ian. Although seamen are considered rough, it seemed as if though a line has been crossed at this point.
‘Is it time to let him know that before them stands the exact same hideous monster?’
Ian felt a bit frustrated at this time. Then he changed his thoughts. That probably wasn’t necessary. However,
‘Maybe a member of the same race as that of the hideous monster would do.’
‘Probably no need to be ‘Ian Page, the grand sorcerer of the Greenriver’. To ordinary people, even the 1st class sorcerers would be the subject of awe.
“You must be in a rush due to ship’s imminent departure time.”
“If you know that, stop talking…..”
“What if the ocean was to freeze over?”
Ian spoke, pointing to the end of the pier. As his subdued voice was filled with mana, it reached every seaman’s ears.
“Sailing would be impossible then?”
“Uh?”
“It will also cause problems to the set schedule.”
“What kind of bullshit are you talking about in this kind of weather…..”
“There would be so much loss.”
Finally, Ian reached the end of the pier. Then he looked down on to the waves of the ocean, below his feet.
“Cold Wave.”
Ian chanted as he stretched his arms towards the ocean. Then soon bluish cold air together with mana became collected at a spot. Soon, it took a ball shape, which resembled a bomb to be shot off by cannon.
‘This should…..’
After measuring the wide open sea and the ships that were before his eyes, Ian threw the chilled ball into the ocean. What would happen exactly? The answer to that question was being demonstrated shortly. At the same time, it was shocking.
Craaack, crack, craaaaaak!
The area, where the chilled ball had been thrown into. Starting from that point, the surface of the ocean began to freeze. The surrounding waters, where the ships were docked, did not escape it. Immediately, the condition has become such that the ships could not budge at all, let alone sail off.
“What, what the heck…..”
The part of the ocean in front of the pier has instantly frozen. Upon witnessing what was happening before their eyes, every crew member had the mouths wide open in awe. It just did not make any sense no matter how hard they thought about it, and if there was a person that can make such an unexplainable thing possible, the identity of that person could only be…
“A sorcerer…..?”
The attention of the crews, near the pier, naturally rested on one spot. To the young man that said that it will be impossible to sail if the ocean was to freeze.
“To repeat myself, I have a question to ask.”
Without paying any attention to the crews’ stares, Ian, once again, approached the coarse seaman and spoke. The big rough man, who treated Ian as an annoying fly, began to sweat profusely.
“I, I was rude, not recognizing a sorcerer…..”
“It was appropriate to not recognize it, so I’ll let it pass.”
“Thank you! Thank you very much!”
“What is your name?”
“Mc- please call me McFadden!”
The name of the coarse seaman was McFadden, and Ian brushed the wide shoulders of McFadden off as he spoke.
“Mr. McFadden. Do you know of the Knocking Island by any chance?”
“What? Knock, Knock, Knocking Island?”
“It would be appreciated if you would mark it on this map.”
Ian opened a map of the western sea of the principality as he spoke. If it was just marked on the map, he would find a way to get there.
“That, that is…..”
However, there was some hesitation in McFadden’s response. It didn’t appear that he didn’t know about the Knocking Island. Was there some sort of problem at the Island?
“Is something wrong?”
“That is….. That island…..”
“It’s OK, so please do speak.”
“That…. Children…..”
“Children?”
“According to the story, which we tell our children before sleep…..”
That’s how McFadden continued his explanation. It was told incoherently, but the main point was that the Knocking Island does not exist. It was only a legend, being told from the times of the Pilten Empire.
“Anything is fine, so would you please tell me the story.”
“…..To tell you as it has been passed down in a story, that Knocking Island is no ordinary island.”
“Not an ordinary island?”
“Mo- moving island…..”
McFadden, who had momentarily stopped talking in embarrassment, even began to speak about the backstory.
“That, gigantic island would move on its own, and in the old days, many master craftsmen that lived on the island would come to the mainland and build houses for the poor, build palace walls, knit clothes, and even made farming equipment. It was also told that it couldn’t be easily located as it freely floats around the vast ocean…. Cough!”
McFadden even let out a pretentious cough. What would have been the reaction if it was a non-sorcerer, an ordinary person that had asked ‘how to go to the Knocking Island?’ By now, they would burst out in laughter and let the idiot become a subject of joke for the crews. That’s how ridiculous the question would have been.
“Did you just say master craftsmen?”
“What? Ah, Yes. How, however…..”
However, to Ian, it was not a ridiculous question or story. He said it was the island of master craftsmen. Doesn’t the gist of the story exactly match with that of what Ian was looking for?
‘The island definitely exists.’
Ian was sure. I just needed to locate it.
‘An island that floats around the vast ocean.’
A difficult challenge was just added.
‘That’s a headache.’
Ian first caused the ocean’s condition to return to normal. Then he stared far out beyond the horizon for a while. The trace about craftsmen has been just uncovered without much difficulty. From the strange child, Cleven, to the Knocking Island. Most likely, it will be floating around the vast desolate ocean, so how can this self moving island be located?
‘Wait.’
It was then when Ian’s thoughts began to deepen.
Re-edited by FlawFinder May 22nd 2020
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