"Are you ready, kids?"

"Yes, Captain!"

"Louder now~"

"Yes, Captain!!"

"Woo—"

"Stop the racket!" Captain Aelan chided with a laugh, leaning against the railing as Quain struggled to keep the noisy kids in line, robbing him of the peace he sought after escaping danger.

"Oh, by the way, since you two are here." Captain Aelan reached into his coat pocket and pulled out two small black wooden boxes, handing one to Gelman and one to Quain. "Merfolk bladders. Useful for making extraordinary items at sea."

"Oh, you're too kind, mate." Quain quipped, swiftly pocketing the box into his tattered bishop's robe. Though rich himself, Quain cherished sentimental gifts like these, seeing them as priceless treasures.

Gelman glanced at the box for a moment before saying, "I didn't come to save you for a reward."

"Ha-ha-ha! You get it all, mate!" Quain interjected, adopting a knowing look. "This is beyond mere materialism, it's all about those feelings, right? You've hit the jackpot." Gelman, meanwhile, seemed to have noticed something unusual in the box, dampening the value of the extraordinary materials.

"Uncle Quain, where'd you hit the jackpot?" Tarna, leaning on the railing, lifted her head, gazing at Quain with curious innocence.

"Heh-heh-heh..." Quain chuckled, ignoring her question.

"Hahaha..." Though not understanding the joke, Dan nodded along with a grin.

"..." Understanding Quain's jest, Gelman looked at the box, feeling the precious extraordinary material had suddenly lost its luster.

"Arse-iba, I'm knackered. If I don't get some shut-eye, I'll lose control." Quain stretched lazily, his long hair now still, and headed towards the cabin, leaving Gelman bemused.

Suddenly, Gelman and Aelan felt the weariness wash over them. Gelman politely waved and took Dan with him to their room 312.

Tarna, leading her brother, followed. She handed Gelman a stack of bills with varying denominations. "From my dad, mom, Uncle Krivis, and Uncle Dimodo's family, 150 pounds!" Tarna smiled sweetly. "They said it's not enough to express their gratitude, just some extra supplies... those things are expensive, right?"

"Not bad." Quain pocketed the money, a gesture signaling Dan to open the door.

Tarna and Dan sighed in relief, happy to have fulfilled their parents' task. Then their curiosity got the better of them, and they asked with a mix of curiosity and fear, "Uncle Sparrow, what were those monsters last night? Are the ghost stories true? Is your ability to command sunlight and Quain's ability to command wooden figures natural?"

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Wait, I didn't catch that... Quain took off the "Sun Badge" and carelessly tossed it onto the table without looking back.

However, he didn't notice that Dan's expression seemed like he was trying to suppress laughter.

He casually replied, "Those are extraordinary abilities, acquired through certain potions and rituals."

"Most ghost stories have some basis in reality. The monsters last night were created through dark rituals."

"For the rest, ask him." Quain gestured towards Dan.

"How amazing!" Tarna and Dan sighed in awe together.

Shortly after, Tarna asked, "Can we also become like you through rituals and potions?"

Their eyes sparkled with immense hope.

Suddenly, Tarna saw a fleeting hint of sadness in Uncle Sparrow's eyes.

In a somber tone, he said, "It's not something to envy or look forward to."

"Once you choose this path, you'll be constantly accompanied by danger and madness."

"You may defeat them a hundred times, a thousand times, but as long as you lose once, you'll end up like that fallen bishop."

As he spoke, he leaned on his cane, took off his coat, and rolled up his shirt sleeves.

One of his arms had become withered and wrinkled, like that of a centenarian, while the other was transparent and colorless, allowing a direct view of veins, muscles, and tendons under the skin.

At the same time, his face was covered with numerous pale-colored fleshy growths, causing Tarna and Dan to recoil in horror and bump into the door.

With a smirk on his face, Quain with countless small fleshy growths maintained his upturned mouth corners. "See it clearly?"

"This is madness."

No... Tarna and Dan witnessed the scene before them, almost losing their minds as they stumbled backward and ran out.

Seeing the retreating figures of the two children, Gelman Sparrow slowly rolled down his sleeves.

Dan looked in the direction where the two children were leaving, and tutted, "Actually, you didn't have to scare them like that. If the kids see you like this, they'll have nightmares..."

Huh? Quain wondered why Dan stopped speaking halfway through, turning his gaze to what was behind him.

An unfamiliar voice, not belonging to Gelman or Dan, echoed behind him.

"Hehehe... This is... madness!"

A familiar face, covered in bloodstains and cracked with dark veins, filled Quain's entire field of vision—Quain's face!

What?! Quain had lost control? Quain's pupils suddenly contracted, instinctively leaping backward and reaching for his gun holster under his arm.

The tense atmosphere seemed to explode in an instant, with disbelief, sadness, and confusion raging through Quain's mind.

Suddenly, he seemed to realize something.

If Quain had lost control, there should have been some signs. His aura had just been a bit unstable when he entered the cabin. How could he have turned into a monster in just a few minutes?

And my "Clown" intuition didn't work. Quain touched me and I didn't notice, and Dan completely ignored him, which is almost impossible.

So, the most likely outcome is...

He suddenly turned his gaze to Dan, only to find him lying on the ground, laughing uncontrollably. Quain was also rolling on the ground, laughing.

"Hahaha!" x2

"Danny."

"Ah, ah?" Dan's emotionless voice seemed to chill Dan to the bone, instantly sobering him up.

"Clean this up." A blood-stained cane was thrown over, and Dan obediently picked up the cane and went to the side.

Quain turned his gaze back to Quain, who was still laughing lightly, and said with a hint of annoyance:

"I almost shot you."

"Hahaha! It's fine! My teacher once told me, a full day's work keeps the insanity away!"

Quain slowly straightened up, laughing.

Then your teacher must be Emperor Rosell... Quain lamented in his heart, feeling an urge to sigh and rub his forehead, but he forced himself to endure it for the sake of his character.

"This is... madness!"

"Hahaha!" x2

The sound of suppressed laughter came from the closed door of the bathroom.

"Shut up!"

"Hahaha!!!" x2

The laughter echoing in the room seemed to dispel some of the gloom hanging over them.