Capítulo 62: Lab Assistant Recruitment!
Far below the surface, the sirens regrouped in the shadows of the deep ocean.
One of the warriors, a burly figure with scars running across his scaled chest, spoke with frustration. "Chief, why did we comply? This is our territory. With our numbers, we could have overwhelmed the ship, even if it carried a wizard."
The 'mermaid leader' turned to him, her expression somber but firm. "And what would that achieve? Do you know how our strength compares to what it once was?"
The warrior fell silent, but his jaw tightened in defiance.
She continued, her voice low but sharp. "At our peak, we ruled these seas. We built an empire beneath the waves, tamed the fiercest beasts, and commanded elite armies. And now? We're a shadow of what we once were. One wizard could wipe out our entire tribe if they so wished. That ship carries not just a wizard but the future of their kind."
Her gaze hardened, her tone turning icy. "If only one apprentice has died, there's still room for diplomacy. But had we dared to attack that ship outright, they would have returned with their wrath. And when wizards bring their wrath, they leave nothing but devastation in their wake. Do you want our tribe reduced to 'corpses littering the ocean floor?"
The warrior clenched his fists but nodded reluctantly.
The mermaid leader turned away, her voice softening as she stared into the endless depths of the ocean. "The one who stole our treasure may still be on that ship, but the wizard has chosen to protect them. We have no choice but to let it go, for now."
The tribe fell silent, their resentment lingering in the cold waters as they retreated into the depths, knowing they had narrowly avoided a disaster far greater than a lost artifact.
As Leonard stepped out of his room and into the bustling cabin, the murmur of conversations filled the air. While he sat down to eat, he caught bits and pieces of chatter from the other wizard apprentices, and it didn't take long for him to piece together what had happened last night.
Apparently, it had been quite the spectacle.
Leonard shook his head, feeling a twinge of regret. The 'soundproofing of his alchemy laboratory' was so effective that he hadn't heard a single thing. And with all those siren corpses on the deck last night… Leonard clenched his fork.
"If I'd been there, I could have collected at least two of those sirens for experiments. Such prime materials… wasted. What a shame."
He leaned back, lost in thought. What made the sirens capable of living and thriving underwater? Was it just the 'gills on their necks'? Or did they possess some kind of magical mutation he could study? The possibilities made his mind buzz with curiosity and envy.
---
As he contemplated, a small 'Bahof elf' floated into the restaurant, carrying a 'tiny trumpet-like device'. With a flick of its wrist, its voice amplified, echoing across the room.
"Attention all wizard apprentices! Master Merlin is recruiting a 'laboratory assistant'! Anyone interested in applying can register with Captain Ghost. Master Merlin has specific requirements: applicants must have knowledge of mutation science, be bold yet careful, and willing to clean up after experiments. Registration closes today!"
The moment the announcement ended, the restaurant erupted with chatter.
"I knew something good like this would happen!" one apprentice exclaimed, nearly knocking over his plate in excitement.
"It's a golden opportunity! Assisting a formal wizard means gaining firsthand experience and with Master Merlin, no less!"
Another voice chimed in, speculative. "I wonder why he's only recruiting an assistant now, when we're so close to the destination?"
"It probably has something to do with the siren corpses he collected yesterday," someone suggested. "With all those materials, who knows how many experiments he'll be conducting?"
Leonard watched the excitement unfold around him. He understood their enthusiasm. Becoming an assistant to a formal wizard was a dream for many. It meant unparalleled exposure to advanced knowledge, experiments, and spells.
As a flood of apprentices rushed toward Captain Ghost's office, Leonard stayed seated, calmly finishing his meal.
"Why rush?" he thought, cutting into the last piece of meat on his plate. "The deadline's at the end of the day. Better to avoid the crowd and conserve my energy."
After finishing his meal, Leonard finally stood and made his way to the 'captain's room'.
---
When he arrived, Leonard found the 'narrow corridor outside the captain's quarters completely packed'. A sea of apprentices crowded the space, shoulder to shoulder.
Leonard sighed and leaned against the wall, observing the scene. Time ticked by, but the line barely moved. His patience wore thin, and he began to study the situation more closely.
Toward the front of the line, a group of apprentices stood near the door, blocking it entirely. They didn't seem to be entering or leaving; instead, they just 'stood there', taking up space.
Leonard narrowed his eyes. It didn't take long for him to figure out their intent.
"They're deliberately blocking the registration area," he realized. "If no one else can register, then only those who are already in line, or in their circle, can compete for the position."
A wave of annoyance rolled over him. This was no accident, it was a calculated move. Leonard's gaze swept over the group, their smug postures and subtle grins betraying their confidence in this tactic.
"Clever," Leonard thought, his lips curving into a faint smirk. "But not clever enough."
---
He adjusted his staff in his hand and began walking forward.
"Make way."
His voice was calm but carried an unmistakable authority.
The apprentices crowding the corridor turned to look at him, confusion flashing across their faces. A few made no effort to move, standing their ground as if daring him to push through.
Leonard didn't hesitate.
He reached out, 'gripping the shoulders of the nearest person' and gently; but firmly, pushed them aside. Despite his measured movements, the sheer force behind his hands was enough to send the apprentice stumbling to the edge of the corridor.
"Hey! What the—!" one of them protested, but Leonard didn't even glance their way.
Step by step, he advanced, calmly shoving people to the side. The narrow corridor began to clear as apprentices instinctively moved out of his path, some grumbling under their breath, others too stunned to speak.
By the time Leonard reached the group blocking the door, the mood had shifted. The air felt heavier, the murmurs dying down. The smug apprentices at the front turned to face him, their confidence faltering slightly under his icy gaze.
One of them, a tall apprentice with an arrogant smirk, stepped forward. "What do you think you're doing? We're first in line. If you want to register, you can wait like everyone else—"
Leonard cut him off with a sharp look.
"You're not in line," he said coldly. "You're just blocking the door."
The apprentice hesitated, momentarily thrown off by Leonard's blunt tone. But then he puffed out his chest, trying to reassert his dominance.
"Listen, pal, this is how things work here. If you don't like it, you can—"
Before he could finish, Leonard stepped forward, his presence alone enough to make the group shift nervously. He leaned in slightly, his voice low and sharp.
"Move. Now."
The tension in the air was palpable. The group exchanged uncertain glances before finally stepping aside, muttering under their breath. Leonard ignored them and pushed open the door to the 'captain's room'.
---
Inside, Captain Ghost sat behind his desk, his translucent form glowing faintly in the dim light. The ghostly figure raised a curious eyebrow at Leonard but said nothing as he approached.
"I'm here to register for the assistant position," Leonard said simply.
The captain nodded, gesturing to a parchment on the desk. Leonard signed his name with steady hands, his expression calm.
As he stepped back out into the corridor, he noticed the group still lingering nearby, their eyes glaring daggers at him. Leonard met their stares head-on, his own gaze cold and unflinching.
"If you want something, fight for it," he said quietly, his tone laced with warning. "But don't waste my time with childish games."
Without waiting for a response, he walked away, leaving the corridor silent in his wake.
As Leonard walked away, his calm demeanor only seemed to inflame the frustration of those still lingering outside the captain's room.
"What is that guy, an orc? How can he be so strong?" someone muttered under their breath, clearly irritated after being shoved aside.
Another apprentice sneered. "Too crude. Absolutely no noble manners at all."
"He's not a noble," someone else chimed in. "I heard from the Bangor Port group that he's just a commoner."
"A 'commoner?'" The word was practically spat out, dripping with contempt.
"Hey, kid!" a wizard apprentice called out behind Leonard, his voice laced with arrogance. "Think carefully before you sign up. This isn't a game for someone like you. You're way out of your league."
Leonard stopped mid-step and turned slowly, an expression of feigned confusion on his face. "I thought Master Merlin was the one recruiting. Did he mention a rule that commoners weren't allowed? If he didn't, why can't I participate?"
The group laughed mockingly.
"Hah! You're bold, I'll give you that," another apprentice said, his voice dripping with disdain. "We're cautious about signing up, and yet you, a nobody think you'll be fine? You're just a commoner wizard looking to leech off someone else's success."
Leonard gave them an indifferent glance and turned to walk toward the captain's door.
The derision in their voices sharpened. One apprentice, his face twisted in anger, suddenly pulled out a staff from his robe and pointed it at Leonard.
"Let's see how cocky you are when I—"
He didn't get to finish.
Leonard spun on his heel, his movements fluid and faster than the apprentice could react. Before a single syllable of the spell could escape the man's mouth, Leonard grabbed the staff with one hand and drove his elbow into the apprentice's face with a sickening crack.
"Ahhh!" The apprentice stumbled back, clutching his nose as blood gushed down his face. His staff slipped from his hand, and he dropped to his knees with a muffled cry.
Leonard glanced at the staff in his hand and pocketed it without hesitation.
"Don't ever point a staff at me," he said coldly, his voice low but sharp enough to cut through the air. His eyes, steely and unyielding, swept over the group. For a moment, the corridor was silent, save for the whimpering of the injured apprentice.
The remaining apprentices exchanged uneasy glances. None of them dared to move.
What they didn't know was that Leonard was holding back. If not for the ship's strict prohibition against killing, he wouldn't have stopped at breaking the apprentice's nose.
"Three steps." The thought crossed Leonard's mind as he assessed the crowd. His mental and physical capabilities, enhanced by his wizard training, made him a force to be reckoned with. Within three steps, his spells were faster than any apprentice could chant. Within arm's reach, his strength, six times that of an average human, made him a lethal opponent.
Without another word, Leonard turned on his heel and entered the captain's room, leaving the stunned crowd behind.
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