A strike of lightning hit the Catalyst in Baraka. Edward, still in a bowing position, appeared with his two companions on the podium in the Continent. Edward looked up and smiled at the operator.

"Good day, good sir!" Captain Edward greeted him with a big smile, standing upright, putting his hat back on his head, and adjusting his coat. To his left and right, his two companions fell on the floor, vomiting. One of them began to cry.

"Are you okay?" the operator asked Edward, somewhat concerned.

"Oh, oh, oh, never better, my dear gentleman," Edward shouted heartily, extending his hand to the old man. The operator accepted it reluctantly.

"I am the Captain! Captain Edward! You must have heard of me; some time ago, I stayed with the Avalon tribe."

"You're Edward? The crazy white swordsman?"

Edward nodded proudly. "The one and only." Behind him, one of his companions tried to push himself up on his hands, but he placed his hand in a puddle of vomit. His hand slipped, and he hit the floor with his nose.

"These two idiots behind me are Gaga and Marik! Feel free to ignore them!"

The operator gave him an awkward smile. 'When will this weirdo leave?' he thought.

"Now, let me ask you something. Where can we find this place?" Edward asked, handing the old man a note given to him by the Prince.

"Oh… I don't know what business you have there, but you can find the Arena..." the operator proceeded to give them detailed instructions.

"Thank you very much, my esteemed gentleman!" Edward finally released his hand. He turned to his two companions. They layed on the floor, dazed from the teleportation. Edward, having switched to being hungover, found that the hangover and nausea from teleportation canceled each other out. The Captain felt fantastic.

He grabbed Gaga and Marik by the collar, lifted them, and threw them onto the street. He stepped out after them.

"Ah. Bakaraka!" Edward said, deeply inhaling the outdoor air through his nostrils. He placed his hands on his hips and struck a superhero pose above his two partners lying on the floor.

"I'm pretty sure the city is called Baraka, Captain," said Gaga.

Edward kicked him.

"WE GO LEFT, LEFT, THEN RIGHT, AND WHEN WE REACH THE BIG RED BUILDING, WE TURN LEFT AGAIN AND IN THAT STREET, WE LOOK FOR THE HUGE ARENA, GOT IT?" Edward shouted. Mundis on the street gave them strange looks. White people? They look like sailors... Edward laughed; he was quite well-known on the Continent. Not for good reasons.

The Captain and his entourage followed in Ater's footsteps. They ventured into the poorer part of the city, following the operator's directions, and stopped in front of the Arena; two days after Arbor had left it.

Gaga approached to knock on the door. Edward pushed him aside. With both hands, he flung the double doors open wide. He walked into the building as if he were an old friend of the owner. The first room was a tavern and a betting shop. Since no fights were currently taking place, the tavern was almost empty. The bartender sat behind the counter, talking to Ridsig. It was clear they weren't expecting guests, especially not white ones.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"Beautiful day to you, beautiful people!" Edward shouted, confidently striding up to the bar. Ridsig and the bartender eyed him suspiciously.

"And you are…?" Ridsig asked distrustfully.

"Ah, just a weary traveler... May I order a drink?"

Ridsig nodded. "Traveler? You must have traveled a lot to end up on the Continent..."

Edward laughed. The bartender approached and leaned her arms on the counter, waiting for his order.

"NINETEEN GLASSES OF QUILINS MILK, COLD PLEASE," the Captain shouted uncomfortably loud. Gaga and Marik sat a little to the side. It was better not to get involved in this.

Ridsig frowned. "NINETEEN GLASSES? Are you sure you can… survive that? If you're not from around here, let me tell you right away, quilin's milk is not for beginners! We have to use special bottles to store it because it's so corrosive it melts the bottoms of regular ones."

Edward laughed. "I think it's time for a proper introduction! I am Captain Edward, and I am here on a VERY IMPOOOORTANT mission for the Prince! No, sorry, the KING!"

Ridsig's expression softened a bit. He was in the company of Ater's friends. "Why did you come here? This is mainly a place for fights; you must have passed at least three decent taverns on your way here."

"I was told there's someone here who can tell me where my good buddy… the Doctor, Ater Arbor, is."

"You just missed him. He set out two days ago on a journey to the Great Chief…"

Edward and Ridsig talked while the innkeeper brought mug after mug of quilin's milk. Edward adored it; he had missed it terribly while in Europe… 'I don't know how I ever lived without this,' Edward thought, wiping his mouth from the milky froth with his sleeve.

Ridsig watched in disbelief. Quilin's milk was poison in much smaller quantities than that. This lunatic was drinking mug after mug while intermittently asking Ridsig questions about events on the Continent that had happened during his absence.

"Yes, I heard that the Kadoka tribe has donned war paint again…," Ridsig said. The conversation had been going on for two hours. Edward was stacking the empty mugs one on top of the other.

"Oh? Why?"

"Those damned cultists, a band of cannibals…" Ridsig leaned toward Edward and whispered in his ear: "Merciless Phantom Clan of Feral Savage Thunder Skulls," the Arena owner said ominously.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! You're afraid of a gang with a name like that? HAHAHAHAHA," Edward was dying of laughter.

Ridsig gave him a strange look. "It's probably due to the language difference… Their name is so terrifying that not even magic can translate it properly into your language."

Edward didn't stop laughing.

"Is… Is there a chance we might run into them?" Gaga finally spoke, scared.

"Of course not… They travel the river to the sea, mainly intercepting merchants crossing bridges and such. They almost never venture to this side of the Mundia."

"Wait… Didn't you say the rivers in the north dried up after the long heatwave?"

Ridsig smacked his forehead. "Damn it! The bandits are definitely going to run into Ater! I didn't think… I didn't warn him…" Ridsig glanced at Edward. He nodded. They agreed without words.

"Let's go, guys," Edward said, getting up from his chair. He shook hands with Ridsig.

"I'm in the greatest hurry! Do you think you could lend me two quilins for the journey? I promise I'll return them." Ridsig nodded. Ater's safety was more important to him than two quilins. Plus, Edward seemed like an honest man of his word. Ridsig had heard about Edward, specifically his sword skills. Still, he didn't believe they would be able to do anything if they ran into the Merciless Phantom Clan of Feral Savage Thunder Skulls gang… He hoped they would reach Ater before that.

Edward mounted one quilin, while Gaga and Marik shared the other. Half an hour after they left, Ridsig realized he hadn't charged Edward for the nineteen damn glasses of the finest quilin's milk.

Edward was singing as he raced on his quilin.

"A roving, a roving,

since roving's been my ru-i-in…"

Edward's voice was very rough but had a pleasant, deep note.

"Leave her, Johnny, leave her!

Oh, leave her, Johnny, leave her!

For the voyage is long and the winds don't blow

And it's time for us to leave her"

Edward sang for hours after they left the city.