Chapter 111

Ethan gathered a large supply of food and water, placing it on the deck before sitting down to eat with the survivors, those who had managed to escape disaster and cling to life.

After a few moments of silent eating, he finally spoke.

"What are your plans now?"

He had no intention of taking these people in permanently. While Philip, as the former first mate, had valuable experience that could be useful, he wasn't indispensable. More importantly, Philip lacked the potential to keep up with Ethan's pace. There was no way to transform him into someone who could accompany Ethan for the long haul.

Since their paths were bound to diverge sooner or later, Ethan preferred to keep his distance from the start better to avoid forming attachments that would only lead to regret down the line.

Unlike Arthur, who had boarded his ship as part of a mutually beneficial transaction, Philip and the others had no such arrangement.

Philip took a sip of water, swallowed a mouthful of food, then exchanged glances with Stephen and Sean, who both seemed to be waiting for his decision.

"I'll stick with these two for a while," Philip finally said. "Pass on what I know… and if we manage to survive out here, I'll find a place to settle down and live out the rest of my days."

Despite his words, Philip wasn't that old by normal standards. But in this world, living to his age was already an achievement.

His body was beginning to show signs of decline, creeping toward old age. In a place like this, where danger lurked around every corner, even a lifetime of experience couldn't change the reality that an aging body meant a greater risk. Situations he might have once escaped with ease would soon become life-threatening.

"First Mate…"

Stephen and Sean were still in their prime. They had their whole lives ahead of them, and even if Ethan didn't take them in, their skills and strong bodies meant they'd have no trouble finding work on another ship.

But Philip had already made his decision. He wasn't just planning to mentor them, he intended to pass everything he had onto them, treating them as his successors, not just in knowledge but in wealth as well.

"Enough of that," Philip said firmly. "You two are the last remnants of the Advance. I don't expect much from you, just keep her name alive on these seas. That's all I ask."

Ignoring their reactions, he turned to Ethan.

"According to the customs of the sea, once we've been rescued, our belongings rightfully belong to Captain Ethan. The Advance carried a fair amount of supplies, and we also have a spare ship stored with the guild. However, I'd like to request that you hold off on claiming that ship for now. Instead, we can treat it as a debt, we'll pay you back for the resources we take."

"Captain Ethan, you don't need to worry about us defaulting on payment. We may not be top-tier adventurers, but we've accumulated enough experience to earn what we need in time."

The unspoken rules of the sea dictated that rescuers were entitled to half of the rescued party's property. While some might demand more, some might even take everything, that was the generally accepted standard among adventurers. It wasn't an official guild rule, but in these waters, it was a law unto itself.

Ethan was still new to these unspoken customs, but even knowing this, he didn't see an issue with Philip's proposal.

What did catch his attention, however, was how readily Philip handed over everything, without a moment of hesitation. Even more surprising was that neither Stephen nor Sean objected. They had all witnessed the monstrosity Ethan had just taken down, there was no question that their survival had been entirely thanks to him.

Giving up their wealth in exchange for their lives wasn't unreasonable.

Now that he understood the situation, Ethan finally responded.

"I won't take everything," he said. "Half is enough. The rest should serve as the foundation for you to start over."

Philip opened his mouth, as if to protest, but Ethan raised a hand to cut him off.

"I mean what I say. It's not me trying to be generous, it's payment. Consider it tuition. You're going to teach me about these waters over the next few days."

Since Ethan now had extra passengers, he decided to adjust his plans. Instead of immediately searching for floating islands, he would head directly to one of the unsinkable islands in this region.

"…Alright."

Philip could see that Ethan was helping them, but at this point, saying thank you yet again would feel empty.

So, instead, he acted.

Philip devoted himself fully to the role of first mate aboard the Goddess of Dawn, ensuring Ethan adapted to this sea while passing on every ounce of knowledge he had accumulated over the years.

Stephen and Sean took up temporary roles as deckhands, working diligently without complaint. Whenever they had spare time, they grabbed brushes and tools to scrub the deck, making sure the ship remained in top condition.

Whether it was a sailing warship or a later-era steel warship, maintenance was essential. Before the invention of chemical coatings, decks were constantly under siege, scorched by the sun, corroded by saltwater, battered by wind and rain. Without regular upkeep, they would rot and decay at an alarming rate.

Ethan had previously only cleaned the deck occasionally, leaving full replacements for when he stopped at a shipyard. But with these three maintaining it daily, the Goddess of Dawn remained pristine.

Watching them work so diligently, Ethan almost felt tempted to invite them to stay.

But he reminded himself of his goals and his destination.

Fortunately, Philip, Stephen, and Sean were all seasoned enough to read the room. They could tell that Ethan had no intention of asking them to stay, and for the sake of pride, they wouldn't bring it up either.

Instead, they focused on doing their jobs every day, waiting patiently for their arrival at Central Island.

—

One evening, as the ship sailed under a sky full of stars, Philip leaned against the railing and began explaining the geography of the region.

"The name Central Island is actually misleading," he said.

Ethan, who had been studying a map, glanced up. "Oh?"

"This entire sea has a horseshoe shape," Philip continued. "And Central Island isn't actually in the middle, it's located at the curve of the horseshoe."

That caught Ethan's attention.

"Horseshoe?"

Philip nodded. "Imagine the shape of a horseshoe surrounding the Sea of Calm on three sides."

Ethan quickly sketched the mental image in his head.

"I see… so we're at the horizontal center of this formation, and the closest major landmass is Central Island?"

"That's right. It's the largest unsinkable island in these waters. It has everything, guilds, shipyards, trade hubs, it's the core of this region."

Ethan tapped his fingers against the wooden railing. "And what about the two ends of the horseshoe?"

Philip glanced at Ethan, surprised by the young man's ambition. He had barely arrived in these waters, yet he was already thinking about what lay at the farthest edges of the world.

Then again, when Philip considered Ethan's overwhelming personal strength, it made perfect sense. Someone like him wouldn't be content with the known, he was already looking toward the unknown.

"The ends of those paths lead to the Sea of Storms as well," Philip finally answered.

Ethan frowned. "There's no way forward?"

Was this really the entirety of the world? That didn't seem right. What about the Endless Land spoken of in legends? Based on what Philip had described so far, these waters weren't all that different from the Sea of Calm he had first arrived in.

The shape of the sea had changed, forming a horseshoe rather than a square, and its size was much larger. The waters were no longer eerily still like a vast lake but behaved more like the dynamic, unpredictable ocean he had known in his past life. The weather was harsher, storms here were comparable to the mid-tier tempests found in the passageway he had previously braved. The system of floating and sinking islands was more complex, and there were far more inhabited islands filled with creatures.

But beyond those differences? It still felt like the same fundamental system.

Before he could dwell on the thought, Philip shook his head. "No, there is a way forward."

Ethan's eyes sharpened. "Go on."

Philip nodded. "Even the Sea of Storms is still just another part of the ocean. And the storms aren't constant throughout the year."

Realization dawned on Ethan. "You're saying that even though those two routes also lead to the Sea of Storms, the intensity of the storms changes over time. If you wait for the right moment, when the storms weaken, you can sail through to a new sea?"

"Exactly."

Philip let out a small sigh. Nearly every adventurer on these waters had heard this before, but for most, it was nothing more than a distant rumor.

He himself had spent over twenty years aboard the Advance. In his younger days, old friends had boasted about braving the storms and reaching a new world beyond. But as time passed, those stories faded. Even the boldest among them had stopped speaking of it. Eventually, Philip too had given up on the idea, choosing instead to live out his days in familiar waters, chasing excitement only when it came to him.

"But you need to understand something," Philip continued. "Those two paths, where the sea seems to extend outward? The further you sail, the worse the sea conditions become. If you want to break through to the Sea of Storms, you'd be wise to spend some time adjusting to these waters first.

"And… I strongly suggest you recruit a few powerful allies."

Philip had planned to mention this just before parting ways with Ethan, he didn't want it to seem like he was angling for a position on the crew. But after realizing just how far Ethan intended to go, he knew that even if Ethan did invite him to stay, he would have to decline.

Philip had survived this long because he knew his limits. He simply wasn't capable of helping Ethan reach where he wanted to go. His wealth of experience only applied here, in these waters.

"Sailing…" Philip muttered, "isn't something that can be done alone."

Ethan already understood that and gave a small nod of agreement.

But then, a wry smile crossed his face.

The kind of allies he needed weren't easy to find.

***

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