Regnum Aetern: Dual Rebirth

Without delay, the four of them packed their stuff and left for the mission the same day.

The ship was already rented, but they still needed to reach the coast to board it. And so, they left the imperial capital in a carriage. After a one-day-long journey, they arrived at the coast where the ship was supposed to be.

The ship they were supposed to board was both similar to what Adrian had imagined and different at the same time.

It was massive, large enough to house more than a hundred people. Its body was made entirely of wood, and the structure was much the same as a normal ship. The only difference was that the hull of the ship was covered in a thick layer of metal.

According to Xion, that layer of metal was there for several reasons. The primary one was the increase in durability, which was necessary to protect the ship from beast attacks from below.

And so, they boarded the ship.

There were only three other people on the ship besides the four of them. One of them was supposed to steer the ship while the other two were part of the maintenance crew.

After a few preparations, the ship finally set sail.

The four of them gathered on the deck for discussion as the ship sailed through the sea.

Evangeline glanced around.

"You know, it feels kinda weird that the four of us are the only ones present on this huge ship. I mean, I know that there are three others too, but you get what I mean, right?"

Xion nodded with a smile.

"I totally agree. It feels like such a waste of space. But then again, we couldn’t have gone on this journey on a smaller ship since the seas are a dangerous place."

Looking at the two, Saria frowned and said in an impatient tone.

"Hey, don’t drag this out. Tell me why we are gathered here so that I can get this over with quickly."

Her sharp tone made the other two shut their mouths. They sighed and looked at Adrian.

"I asked you all to gather because I believe it’s time we discuss something," Adrian spoke calmly. "Now that we are a team, we need to understand our roles better. I know that the chances of us engaging in combat after we arrive on that island are low, but in case that happens, I want us to be able to work as a team. That is why I propose that we tell each other about our capabilities and create teamwork strategies."

Xion and Evangeline nodded, and although Saria had a frown on her face, she nodded as well.

Evangeline raised her hand and began speaking.

"As everyone knows, I possess four major elemental affinities. I am primarily a caster, and the element I am currently most proficient with is the major element water. Being a caster, I lack proper close combat abilities, but I can still somewhat manage since I know a bit of hand-to-hand combat."

Adrian was aware of her capabilities, but he still nodded along. The next to raise their hands was Xion.

But as he was about to speak, he paused and looked at Adrian.

"Do I have to mention all of my capabilities?"

"Not really." Adrian shook his head. "Just mention your general abilities so that we get an idea of what you are capable of. If there is something that you are uncomfortable sharing, then that’s totally fine. Nobody is forcing you."

Xion nodded.

"I see. About my abilities, I possess the affinity for the derived element, Shadow, of the major element, Darkness. I am an Infuser, and my primary weapons are the two shortswords attached to my back. Though I can use other weapons like daggers and swords too, since my infusion art isn’t limited to a single weapon type. The core of my infusion art is dual-wielding. As for my Origin ability, it’s a bit hard to explain, but let’s just say that it gives me better control over my own body."

’Oh, so it’s that Origin ability, huh?’

Based on how the commoner boy described it, he was talking about an Origin ability named Puppeted Self. Its function was indeed strange. The previous bearers of this Origin ability mentioned that after they awakened this power, they felt as though their control over their body had changed.

They described that it no longer felt as though they were moving their body, but instead felt as though they were controlling it like a puppet with strings. They completely lost their reflexes but instead gained control over their bodies that was so precise that it was incomparable to before.

Adrian narrowed his eyes.

’Was this the secret behind his moves?’

Adrian hadn’t forgotten the duel between Xion and Saria. He still wondered whether the commoner boy had some power that allowed him to look into the future. But maybe the truth behind those moves was this ability instead...

Adrian shook his head internally.

’No, I can’t just assume that since I don’t really understand exactly how Puppeted Self works.’

Clearing his thoughts, Adrian himself raised his hand and began speaking.

"I possess the affinity for the Space element and am primarily an infuser who specializes in swords. My Origin ability makes me completely immune to mental abnormalities, so mind-related attacks don’t work on me. I can also use a space spell with a decent attack power."

With the three of them done, their eyes turned to the girl standing a bit further away with her eyes closed as her navy blue hair fluttered in the wind.

As though sensing their gaze, she frowned.

"What? Do I have to do this too? My abilities should already be known to you all since they are no secret."

Xion smiled and replied politely.

"That may be true, but it would be better if you were to explain it yourself. After all, we don’t really know what’s true and what’s false due to the nature of noble society."

She clicked her tongue.

"Fine. I have an affinity for the derived element, Platinum, of the major element, Earth. I am an infuser, and I don’t have a weapon of choice. My infusion art is quite unique. There is no weapon art or combat technique; it’s all only a mana manipulation technique, so I am quite flexible in terms of combat. I also know a spell that lets me materialize platinum in the shape I desire, and I use it to create weapons. Oh, right. My eyes have lost their light, but that is not a hindrance for me since my Origin ability allows me to ’see’ to a certain extent. That’s all."

’Hmm... her infusion art doesn’t have a combat technique, huh? No wonder she was proficient with so many weapons.’

Practicing a combat technique was both good and bad. After a certain point of mastery, the body starts reacting before the mind does, which greatly increases reaction time. But after practicing with a certain weapon to this point, any other weapon would feel awkward in hand.

After all four of them shared their abilities, they began discussing their roles.

And after a long discussion, their roles were finally decided.

Since Evangeline possessed the greatest firepower among them, she was going to be the main damage dealer of the team.

Saria would be the one who would stand at the front and engage with the opponent first since she was the best at close combat among them.

Xion’s role was to assist Saria in close combat and make sure that she wasn’t overwhelmed. This was a role the commoner boy had chosen for himself, saying that he was quite good at improvising.

And since Evangeline needed time and focus to prepare her attacks, Adrian’s job was to make sure she got that time. He would engage with any enemy that attacked her.

Besides this, they had agreed on a few other things as well.

The most notable one of those agreements was that they would run away the moment they encountered anything beyond Phase Four.

The gap between Phases was quite large. It was commonly accepted that more than three people were required to team up to have a shot at beating an opponent a Phase higher than them. Having fought against the assassin six years ago, Adrian knew how hopeless such a fight was. So, even thinking of fighting something beyond Phase Four would be utter foolishness.

The three of them had quickly agreed to this, but for some reason, Saria had been quite displeased with that decision. It was as though she didn’t like the idea of fleeing from an opponent.

With the discussion done, all four of them returned to their rooms as the ship continued to sail.

For a few days, the journey was quite smooth. They didn’t encounter any problems. Evangeline and Xion were spending their time in leisure as though they were on a trip. Saria spent most of her time training, and Adrian was doing the planning for possible scenarios, among other things.

But of course, the seas lived up to their reputation, and they encountered trouble on the fifth day.

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