Knight: from Apprentice to the Almighty

"It’s absolutely true, Mr. Roland!"

Hobbit stood on his tiptoes, trying to get a better look, his face beaming with a proud smile as he nodded vigorously.

"That’s the Sea Sparrow! My older brother’s first ship when he started sailing! What do you think? Impressive, right?"

Hearing this, Roland’s gaze once again followed the Half-Elf’s line of sight.

He looked past the nearby collection of truly small fishing boats and coastal barges, his gaze settling on a deeper, dedicated berth at the edge of the harbor.

A ship was moored there.

A behemoth, utterly different from the "little boat" Trevor had nonchalantly described at the banquet.

Its size was astounding.

Even compared to the large merchant ships moored nearby, just back from long voyages, it held its own.

In fact, in terms of mast height and deck width, it seemed to have a slight edge.

Its dark oak hull was weather-beaten, heavily salt-stained at the waterline, and bore several conspicuous patches from repairs.

However, meticulous maintenance had kept it in excellent overall condition.

The tung oil-treated wood gleamed, and the deck was tight and flat—worn, but not rotten.

On the heavy gunwales, brass rivets glinted steadily.

Three sturdy mainmasts pierced the sky, the rigging secured with impeccable precision.

"The Sea Sparrow?"

Staring at the behemoth before him, which stood in stark contrast to its name, the corner of Roland’s mouth twitched involuntarily.

He had assumed the "little boat" Trevor mentioned would be slightly larger than a fishing boat, at most. He never imagined it would be a vessel of this magnitude.

A ship of this size was more than enough for deep-ocean voyages, let alone for him to practice his sailing skills.

"Your older brother is truly generous..."

Roland remarked softly, then turned to Hobbit.

"But, Hobbit, I only taught you some basic Combat Skills. The Sea Sparrow is far too valuable a gift in return."

"There’s no need to decline, Mr. Roland!"

The Half-Elf slowly shook his head.

"My older brother taught me that friendship can’t be measured by material possessions. Besides, as you can see, he has a better ship now. This one is just sitting idle, so you really shouldn’t feel burdened."

Seemingly worried that Roland still wouldn’t accept, Hobbit earnestly added a few more words.

Unlike the Red-skinned Orc, Freddy, whom Roland had met before, the Half-Elf was remarkably eloquent. It was as if he had already prepared a draft, and the persuasive words just poured out of him.

Roland wasn’t one to stand on ceremony.

After being persuaded a few more times, he accepted the kind offer gracefully.

"Alright, alright, Hobbit. I get it."

He gently waved his hand, stopping the Half-Elf’s rambling, ruffled the little guy’s head, and chuckled.

"No wonder Galvis is so fond of you. It looks like you have a better future telling adventure stories with him in taverns than you do as a Warrior."

Hearing Roland’s teasing words, Hobbit, far from being displeased, looked delighted.

"Does that mean, Mr. Roland, that you..."

"Next time you write a letter, remember to thank your older brother for me."

"No problem!"

Hobbit eagerly patted his chest. "Then let’s go aboard and take a look, Mr. Roland!"

Roland nodded slightly and followed Hobbit toward the Sea Sparrow.

Stepping onto the deck, Roland looked around.

Just as it had appeared from a distance, the hull, though damaged in several places, had been neatly patched up.

It was very well-maintained overall, showing no signs of decay.

Roland lightly tested the solid deck with his foot, but the joy that had just begun to swell in his heart started to fade.

Though he had never commanded a large ship, Roland was well aware that to sail a ship smoothly, you needed more than just the key positions like captain, first mate, helmsman, and lookout. You also needed a large crew to handle the sails and rigging.

After all, sailing relied not just on the wind, but on manpower as well.

A large ship like the Sea Sparrow would need a crew of one to two hundred, at a conservative estimate, just to provide enough manpower to sail properly.

Roland wasn’t worried about the daily expenses of supporting so many crew members.

After all, he had just received a new card from Colin, loaded with enough Gold Coins for him to spend lavishly on honing his sailing skills.

The real problem was finding a crew.

Unlike travel by land, seafaring meant directly confronting the awesome power of nature.

Even the most experienced sailors could find a watery grave with a single misstep.

Although Roland’s strength now ranked him among the best in the Extraordinary Realm, he was still powerless against the furious might of the vast ocean.

Therefore, the crew had to possess considerable sailing experience.

In the coastal Royal Capitals of the River Domain, experienced sailors weren’t hard to find. However, most were already employed by the major merchant guilds.

If he started recruiting now, it would likely take weeks of preparation before Roland could actually begin practicing his sailing.

And he really didn’t want to waste time on that.

The thought had barely crossed Roland’s mind before he blurted it out.

To his surprise, the Half-Elf seemed to have anticipated this very problem.

Hobbit lifted his head proudly and spoke with conviction.

"Rest assured, Mr. Roland! My older brother and I have already considered that."

"Many of my older brother’s former crewmen are no longer fit for long voyages due to injury or old age. But in recognition of their service, my brother sets aside a portion of his profits each month to support them. He has them do ship maintenance and repair work."

"Since you just want to practice sailing for now, they are more than capable of handling it."

"As long as you agree, I can call them to work on the ship tomorrow. All expenses during this period will naturally be covered by my older brother."

Roland looked slightly stunned upon hearing this.

He hadn’t expected Hobbit and Trevor to be so thorough.

By their arrangement, he could practically start practicing the moment he stepped on board, with no need to worry about any of the miscellaneous details.

Moreover...

Thinking back on Hobbit’s story about how Trevor supported his old crewmen who could no longer go on long voyages, Roland’s understanding of the stout Half-Elf deepened.

His ability and his character were both impeccable.

No wonder he’d become a captain at such a young age.

Even without the connection through Hobbit, this was someone definitely worth befriending.

At this thought, Roland slowly shook his head and gently patted Hobbit’s shoulder.

"Hobbit, I’m already incredibly grateful for this kindness, letting me borrow the Sea Sparrow to practice my sailing. Let me at least cover the crew’s expenses."

When Hobbit looked like he was about to argue, Roland cut him off with a wave of his hand.

"That’s settled! Do you take me for some kind of stingy miser?"

He winked at the Half-Elf, a smile playing on his lips.

"Of course not!"

Hobbit quickly shook his head.

Seeing Roland’s resolute expression, he could only give a slight nod.

The two discussed a few more details and finalized the arrangements for his sailing practice.

After their talk, Roland intended to give Hobbit the card from Colin, the one loaded with Gold Coins.

But the Half-Elf refused to take it. He insisted on first calculating all the expenses, presenting Roland with an itemized list for review, and only then accepting payment.

Seeing the little fellow’s stubbornness, Roland had no choice but to drop it.

He gently ruffled Hobbit’s head, and the two of them walked home, discussing the details as they went.

Just as they reached the front door and pushed open the courtyard gate, a familiar voice drifted over.

"Roland! What took you so long? I’m starving!"

"Avril?"

Roland looked toward the voice and saw the slender figure slumped over the stone table not far away. He couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.

"You’re still in the Royal Capital? You haven’t come by for meals the last few days. I thought you’d already left with the others from the Shadow Veil Organization to hunt down the Wolf King."

"Huh?"

The Elf Maiden sat up straight at his words, a confused look on her face.

"Roland, how do you know about that? I don’t remember telling you about it."

"Do you even have to ask...?"

Roland shot the slightly clueless Avril an exasperated look.

"The Royal Capital Guards have been mobilized so often recently. It’s not like I’m blind."

"Ha... ha-ha-ha..."

The Elf Maiden realized what a dumb question she’d asked. She scratched her cheek in embarrassment and quickly changed the subject.

"You’re right, Roland."

She stood up from her chair and stretched lazily.

"I’m heading to the Land of Mist tomorrow, so I came by specially to have a farewell dinner with you."