“…Some of our dreams may not be as easy to achieve as you think,” Fran said in his usual hoarse voice. “And some dreams are not something that we can talk about openly… Are you sure that you want to discuss how to help us achieve our dreams?”

“…Trust me when I say this, Fran,” Alnea said, flashing his teeth in a grin. “None of your dreams can be more dangerous than mine.”

“…I know that you are not afraid of danger, or else, you would not have dared to offend an Orthodoxy by yourself. In fact, it is exactly because of your fearlessness that I decided to join your team. But being fearless and being overconfident are two different things.”

“Don’t worry. I have enough ability to back my confidence.”

“…I am not worried about you. I am worried about myself. Since we are in a team now, everything you do might affect us as well. Especially within the Black Desert. If you are still so overconfident within the desert, you might lead us to our doom.”

“…He does have a point,” Karl added. “Overconfidence is not conducive to survival.”

“…I will try to restrain myself, and act with more caution.”

“And our dreams,” Ralph added from the side. “In a certain way, our dreams can be equated with our conviction. How can we share it with you so easily, let alone ask for your help?”

“…I think you may have misunderstood me a little,” Alnea said, trying his best to restrain his hands from scratching his head, and look more mature. “I never asked you to share your dreams. I just said that we have to decide our future directions, and how to go about fulfilling our goals and dreams.”

“Is that not the same thing?”

“It is not,” Alnea said, shaking his head. “What I wanted to say was that we need to discuss how to achieve our goals in the city, while getting closer to fulfilling our dreams. At the very least, we cannot let our actions in the city take us further from our ultimate dreams. After all, we cannot ignore the bigger picture for some short-term benefits.

“Besides, we may be a team, but only within the bounds of the Black Desert. When we leave the Lost City for good, we will return to being the strangers that we were. Even if we do maintain good relationship, we might not have the same level of understanding, or cooperation. Maybe, we might even turn against each other for our dreams. If such a case were to happen, how would I be able to help you fulfil your dreams?”

“…You are being too pessimistic, Alnea,” Vestia said, looking at him with an aggrieved face. “How can you think about me like that?”

“I did not name you… And I was not wrong either.”

“Anyways, I am never going to betray you. And our dreams will not bring us apart either. Maybe, they might even bring us together…”

“Let us save the talks about our future to our future selves,” Yuri said, while Cecilia glared at Vestia, warning her to not go too far. “For now, don’t you have more important things to discuss, Alnea?”

“Right, the team,” Alnea said, turning his attention back to everyone else. “I was about to discuss our future directions with everyone, but Fran, Karl, and Ralph reminded me of something even more important. As a team, the most important thing for us to work together is not just our goals and dreams, but an idea that can make us give up all our differences and come together for our common goal. We already have a common goal, entering the inner city. All we need now is an idea—

“Chasing after the ‘Stars’, ‘Seeking’ the ones that belong to us…” Ralph said, stepping in before Alnea could finish speaking. “I think that is good enough of an idea.”

“…Although that is indeed an appropriate way to describe us, I would not have said anything if that was enough to bind everyone together,” Alnea said. “After all, our goals may be the same, but the ‘stars’ that we are chasing after are all different. If we are given the choice of completing our goals, or catching our stars, we will choose the stars over our temporary goals any day. Do not deny it. I chose all of you to join the ‘Star Seekers’ exactly because of the persistence in your Hearts.”

“…It looks like I taught him well,” Zain mumbled to himself, but loud enough for everyone else to hear. No one paid attention to him though. Especially the five new Star Seekers.

“…So? Do you have the ‘idea’ that can bind us together?” Aren said, with Alnea shaking his head in return.

“Although I want to say that we can come up with this ‘idea’ together, in the end, we are Wanderers. No matter how we try to gloss over it, we cannot trust each other—

“I trust you, Alnea,” Vestia said, winking at him, destroying the solemn atmosphere in the hall. “I believe that you will never betray me.”

“…Except in some special cases. But those special cases are far and few in our team. Obviously, our team cannot work on just trust. And though the restrictions of the city can stop us from betraying each other, it cannot motivate us to do our best to help each other. Just a simple ‘idea’, no matter how great it may be, it will not be enough to bring us together.”

“Then why are you talking about it?”

“…Since a simple ‘idea’ is not enough to bind us together, then we will go beyond the scope of just ideas. We will create conditions for us to voluntarily help each other and do our best for the team. And this condition can be created only if we share our interests.”

“…Interests?” Karl mumbled, while Aren, Norren, and Fran frowned in thought. Ralph, on the other hand, just kept looking at him in silence, waiting for him to continue. As for Zain… Alnea would be happy if he did not make any troubles. Just as he would be happy if Cecilia would not glare at him… How was it his fault that Vestia was smiling at him once again? And what was that light shining light in her eyes…

“That’s right, interests,” Alnea said, suppressing his errant thoughts in the depths of his Heart. “Not the traditional kind of interests, but interests as in the benefits we can get. Only if our interests are linked with each other, will we be able to work together for the sake of our team. Only when the benefits of our teammates would bring benefits for us, would we be able to advance as a team.”

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“…That does sound reasonable.”

“…So many benefits, without any side effects… I think it sounds unreasonable…”

“…What are you afraid of? We are in a team now. We cannot harm each other even if we want to.”

“…I guess there is no harm in trying.”

“…Whatever.”

“So, if no one has a problem—

“I have a problem,” Yuri said in a crisp tone, bringing everyone’s attention to herself. At the same time, her words also brought some surprise to everyone’s faces. Especially to Vestia. The amused smile on her face… It was as if she was getting ready to watch a show.

“…Don’t make troubles, please,” Alnea said, but got no response. At least not directly through their bond.

“You talk about linking everyone’s interests together, but people change, Alnea. And so does their interests.”

“…I admit that our interests may change with time, but that would take a lot of time. Much longer than what we will spend as a team.”

“…For a moment, let us assume that our interests remain the same. And that we have successfully linked our interests. But how can you ensure that the link will stay strong? How can you ensure that none of us will try to advance their interests at the cost of others?”

“…We will find a way.”

“How? By reasoning with everyone?” Yuri said, shaking her head. “Not everyone listens to reason, Alnea. Especially when they are desperate. And the people you have chosen… they are all desperate.”

“…I must say that he does have an eye for people,” Vestia said, nodding in support of Yuri. “Out of nearly a hundred people who came to us today, all the people you chose to join our team are so desperate… I think, we can use Desperate Stars as an alternative name for our team.”

“…If they had not been so desperate, would Wanderers of their potential have chosen to join our team?”

“…Fair enough,” Vestia said, shrugging her shoulders, before turning towards Yuri. “Since you have said so much, you must have a solution too, right?”

“…There is only one way to ensure that we remain and act as a team,” Yuri said, turning her head away from Vestia. “It is also something that every team must have. Something that we have been ignoring until now.”

“…What is it?”

“A leader,” Yuri said. “Every team must have its leader. Captain, if you may. A person who can lead our team, and ensure its integrity, preventing everyone from sacrificing other people’s interests for their own. For a while, we can do with a central idea, or even without linking our interests, but we cannot do without a good captain.”

“Captain…” Zain mumbled, while everyone else stared at Yuri in a daze.

“…That’s it?” Cecilia said. “You said all those things, just to say that we need a captain?”

“…Is that reason not enough?”

“…I mean, having a captain in a team is common sense…”

“…Unfortunately, someone was ignoring that common sense, and going endlessly about other things…”

“…Well, I can sacrifice myself, and be the captain…”

“…I was getting to it,” Alnea said, ignoring Zain’s mumbled, while doing his best to hide his embarrassment. “But will electing a captain really solve all the things you said?”

“Why not?” Vestia said, supporting Yuri once again. “I think it is a great idea. In fact, if I had not been a little distracted with something else, I might even have thought about it myself… Why are you looking at us like that? Did we say something wrong?”

“No… but do we not have a captain already?”

“…Are you talking about Alnea?”

“Me? Captain?” Alnea said, getting surprised enough to forget even using his Aspects to hide his shock. “When did I become the Captain?”

“…They are not wrong, you know,” Vestia said, with her eyes getting brighter with every passing moment. “You have been practically leading us for the past two days. So, in effect, you have been acting as our Captain.”

“That’s because I was—

“Do not expose your secret to everyone, fool.”

“…I will be more careful.”

“…because I was trying to learn more about everyone.”

“And that is how a leader should be. More caring about everyone in his team.”

“…Then how about we make him our Captain in both effect, and name?”

“…As long as it can increase our chances of our survival…”

“I have no problem.”

“…Me neither.”

“…Well, if it is Alnea, I guess I have no problem either.”

“…Were you not planning to become our captain just now?”

“How to say it… He also has half of my talent. That’s enough to become our Captain…”

“Then why can you not be our Captain?”

“…I have to focus my talent in other areas,” Zain mumbled, shifting his eyes across the room to shift the topic, until his eyes landed on Cecilia. “How about Cecilia?”

“What about her?”

“What do you think of her as our Captain?”

“…I would not recommend electing a girl as our Captain.”

“Hey, what’s wrong with girls being the Captain?”

“…They are more impulsive.”

“…And troublesome…”

“…Another annoying punk,” Cecilia said, gritting her teeth, imagining herself to break the teeth of the two annoying men.

“…Anyways, you have not said whether you agree with Alnea as the our Captain or not?”

“…If not him, who would I agree to being our Captain? You?”

“…It’s not impossible. Maybe you saw my talent—

“Shut up, Zain,” Alnea said, pinching his brows to calm his headache. He had enough things to worry about already, he did not wish to add another man getting close to Cecilia to add to that list. Although he had enough trust in Cecilia, he could not stop himself from feeling jealous. Especially since everything between them was so ambiguous. Not to mention the fact that they had begun to spend less and less time together ever since they came to the Lost City…

Maybe that was why Cecilia and Yuri reacted so much to Vestia’s provocations. Because of jealousy, and the silent fire burning in their chests… Large chests… They had grown much larger in the months that he had not noticed. Even if their chests could not compare to big sis Serena’s, or his master’s, they were only slightly smaller than Vestia’s chest…

Alnea tore his eyes away from the chests of the three girls, while deciding to spend more time with Cecilia and Yuri every day. But that was something he would do later. For the moment, he had something else to do. He already discussed the advantages and disadvantages of being the Captain with Yuri. He was sure that she would make a much better Captain than him, but that might increase her chances of exposure.

In the current situation, with the entire Lost City focusing its attention on them, it was for the best if he led the team and drew Lotus clan’s frantic revenge. Maybe it would lead them to facing more dangerous in the short run, but in the long run, it would save them from the possibility of facing some Supreme clans. Not to mention that it would also dissuade the other clans from investigating in too much detail. So, even if he did not wish to, he still had to assume his role as the Captain.