First rays of the sun crept across the roofs of Aurelis as the city slowly came to life.

Jennie stood in front of the inn, fastening the Excalibur sheath under her white cloak. The famous weapon remained hidden behind the usual appearance of her sheath, looking no different from the blade of some common travelling hunter.

Snow stretched his furry white body after shaking off the night dew.

Roxy finally appeared next to Jennie, holding her huge mage hat slightly tilted towards one eye. She kept chewing a piece of bread.

"Good morning..." she said with a tired voice.

Jennie smiled.

"You woke up rather early."

Roxy yawned.

"In fact, I didn’t sleep very long."

Jennie tilted her head.

"Again studying?"

Roxy raised her hand with a magic book.

"I found a Chapter about underwater magic."

Snow sighed.

"You really will study anything."

"I like learning!"

Jennie chuckled quietly.

"And that’s one of your best features."

Jennie, Roxy and Snow headed to the Hunter Guild along the waking streets.

However, instead of going to the main building, the receptionist pointed out another direction.

"Good morning, Raven."

Jennie bowed politely.

"Good morning."

The receptionist gave her a glowing quest crystal.

"We have a simple escort mission."

"A merchant caravan requires escort service to the port of Aurelis."

Jennie took the quest crystal.

"I’ll do that."

As usual, Jennie didn’t ask for a reward first.

The receptionist smiled.

"Thank you."

The western district of Aurelis turned out to be an absolutely new place for Jennie.

She smelled the saltiness of the sea long before reaching the port.

Fresh fish, wooden logs and the taste of rain were wafting in the salty breeze.

And then...

The streets led to the enormous harbor.

Jennie stopped walking.

"...It’s beautiful."

In front of her stretched one of the largest harbors on the continent.

This harbor seemed endless.

The great stone quays extended deep into the shining ocean.

The numerous ships filled the waters.

The tiny fishing boats were rocking near the noble merchant ships.

The gigantic cargo ships with the cargo from foreign lands stood next to the proud naval vessels with royal flags.

Even greater than all of these ships were the flying airships which descended towards the sky docks constructed near the harbor.

The skies and the sea were overcrowded with people.

Roxy turned around several times, trying to see everything.

"There are so many ships!"

Snow smiled.

"Aurelis got rich thanks to this harbor."

"Almost every nation makes deals here."

Jennie observed how sailors unloaded the boxes full of fruits which she never saw before.

Nearby, the merchants were displaying their fabrics woven with silvery threads.

Also there was a stall with fragrant spices that filled the air with unusual smells.

People of all nations were walking through the crowded streets.

The dark-skinned merchants from southern deserts.

The tall merchants dressed in fur cloaks from the northern lands.

The elven craftsmen with their magical jewellery.

The dwarven blacksmiths who inspected the imported ore.

Even beastfolk with fox ears and wolf tails were bargaining with the prices for the delivery.

Jennie’s silver eyes sparkled with amazement.

"The world is so much larger than I thought."

Snow nodded.

"And we have seen only its small part."

The merchant which needed to be escorted greeted them politely.

"My name is Deb."

That was a cheerful middle-aged man with trimmed beard who was making a bow with respect.

"So you are Hunter Raven?"

Jennie made a bow in return.

"Yes."

"I’ll be escorting your cargo today."

Deb smiled relieved.

"I heard such wonderful things about you."

Jennie scratched her cheek awkwardly.

"I guess the rumours are exaggerated."

Snow quietly looked away, trying to hide his smile.

Roxy whispered:

"They aren’t."

Deb’s cargo included rare medicinal herbs which were destined for another district of the city.

It was an easy journey.

When they were moving through the port with busy docks, Jennie could not stop observing everything around her.

The huge cranes with glowing rune circles lifted entire crates into the air.

The enchanted chains were floating by themselves at the command of dockworkers.

Magical cranes were loading the cargo with unbelievable precision.

The port was the mixture of usual craftsmanship and advanced rune technology.

Everything was working in harmony.

While Deb was negotiating with another merchant, Jennie waited near the dock.

Several rough-looking Sea Hunters were sitting round wooden barrels and fixing their weapons.

The difference between the Sea Hunters and ordinary hunters was their unusual harpoons, waterproof armours and curved swords for fighting underwater.

One of them quietly said:

"...It happens again."

Another hunter frowned.

"Fishing boat?"

The first one nodded.

"It disappeared yesterday."

"No wreckage."

"No bodies."

"It just disappeared."

Jennie was listening quietly.

Third hunter was rubbing his chin.

"Possibly some pirates?"

But the oldest of them was shaking his head slowly.

"No."

"If pirates attacked..."

"There would be some evidences."

"But..."

He was swallowing nervously.

"The sea itself feels differently."

Snow’s ears were twitching.

Jennie noticed it immediately.

One younger Sea Hunter lowered his voice.

"My brother saw blue lights beneath the sea."

Another hunter snorted.

"You are still believing that story?"

"I tell the truth!"

"They were not fishes."

"They were not magics."

"They looked like..."

He was hesitating.

"...stars beneath the sea."

The silence settled around them.

Even those who laughed before, did not smile now.

The old fisherman was approaching carrying some empty nets.

His weathered face was unusually pale.

"I spent sixty years on this sea."

"I know every current."

"Every reef."

"Every storm."

He was looking at the western horizon.

"But recently..."

"I hear the songs."

Roxy blinked.

"Songs?"

The old fisherman nodded.

"When the sea becomes quiet..."

"You hear the voices."

"They are not human."

"They are beautiful."

"But..."

He was swallowing nervous.

"They hurt your heart."

Jennie felt some shiver running through her body.

Another sailor was joining them.

"The sea monsters start acting strangely as well."

"What has happened?"

"They are fleeing."

All of them frowned.

"Fleeing?"

The sailor nodded.

"A Sea Serpent abandoned its territory."

"A Kraken changed migration routes."

"Even the giant sharks disappeared."

Snow quietly muttered:

"That’s impossible."

Jennie looked at him.

"What does it mean?"

Snow was staring silently at the endless western sea.

"If those creatures are fleeing..."

"...some more powerful creature wakes up."

Jennie was following his gaze.

Suddenly that calm ocean started seeming very deep and old.

As if it keeps some secret which was sleeping for thousands years.

Deb returned when finished his business.

"Everything is ready."

"Thank you for waiting."

Jennie smiled.

"It was not a problem."

They safely performed the escort mission.

When Deb was signing the completion document, he smiled with gratitude.

"I never felt insecure."

Jennie bowed.

"I’m glad."

After his departure, Roxy was looking at the distant horizon.

"The stories that Sea Hunters told..."

"They were scary."

Jennie slowly nodded.

"They didn’t seem like some ordinary rumours."

Snow was unusually silent.

His blue eyes never left the western ocean.

Far beyond the busy port...

The endless ocean was stretching under the rays of the sun.

The waves seemed calm.

Too calm.

Jennie didn’t understand why...

But she felt as something beneath them was watching.

Waiting.

Calling someone.

Perhaps...

Herself.

The sun in the afternoon sky slowly set on the horizon, transforming the entire ocean into golden ocean waves.

Having escorted Deb’s delivery through the harbor of Aurelis, Jennie, Snow, and Roxy finally bid farewell to Merchant Deb.

But soon another loud ringing filled the air.

Dong...

Dong...

This wasn’t the ringing of a ship that was leaving the harbor.

It came from a stone building situated next to the biggest dock.

Over its entrance flew a blue banner bearing a silver anchor.

Continental Harbor Guild

Looking curiously, Roxy said,

"I’ve never been here."

Snow’s ears slightly moved.

"Nor have I."

"Well, then," said Jennie.

"Hang on."

Like the Hunter Guild, this place was packed with activity.

Not hunters...

Here were sailors, navigators, fishermen, captains, ocean mages, and explorers.

The walls were filled with large maps.

There were floating rune-powered globes showing the routes across the continent.

There were floating crystal compasses hovering above wooden tables.

The magic charts showed the current ocean flows in real-time.

Some scholars were passionately discussing the ancient maps of the ocean.

One old navigator pointed to the western ocean.

"There are changes in the current."

But another scholar instantly denied it.

"No."

"The ocean itself has shifted."

While listening quietly to their discussion, Jennie admired the enormous map covering the entire wall.

Almost seventy percent of the planet...

Is oceans.

She quietly whispered to herself.

"...We’ve only been walking across a small fraction of this world."

Snow nodded.

"And the ocean hides more mysteries than the land."

But suddenly...

The blue crystal hanging in the center of the guild hall lit up brightly.

A receptionist rang the silver bell.

"Attention!"

"A special investigation request has been issued!"

Everybody turned to the floating quest board.

Golden letters appeared on it slowly.

Special Investigation Request

Location: Western Ocean

Rank: S

Task:

Investigate mysterious blue lights appearing beneath the surface of the water.

Determine the cause of disappearing fishing ships.

Explore the unusual migration of sea monsters.

Explore the rumors of ancient songs heard beneath the sea.

Reward:

Negotiable.

Priority:

The highest.

All the guild started discussing this investigation loudly.

"An S-Rank investigation?"

"This must be serious."

"I heard that five more ships disappeared yesterday."

"My brother refuses to fish any more."

"The ocean is cursed."

While silently reading this request, Jennie got the feeling that it sounded somehow familiar.

Near the quest board, some scholars were discussing the phenomenon.

A young researcher carefully opened the ancient parchment.

"This document was found in the Royal Archives."

It was indeed ancient.

Far too ancient for any living kingdom.

The faded illustration on it depicted the enormous temple lying beneath the sea.

Around the temple, there were strange glowing spirits.

An old scholar adjusted his glasses.

"Our ancestors called it..."

The Sunken Temple.

Roxy looked curiously at the old scholar.

"Do you believe it exists?"

To this, the scholar answered honestly.

"No one knows."

"But all the historical records agree about one thing."

"When blue lights arise from beneath the western sea..."

"...the temple awakens."

Silence spread among the crowd.

Another scholar pointed at several translations.

"They mention an ancient guardian."

"A sacred relic lies within the temple."

"But no one has ever reached it."

Jennie’s heart skipped a beat.

Outside the guild hall...

The ocean breeze has become colder.

Standing at the edge of the pier, Snow was looking towards the endless ocean.

His cheerful face was gone.

Jennie silently approached him.

"You’ve been silent."

Snow did not answer immediately.

His blue eyes were looking far away into the distance.

Finally...

He spoke.

"That feeling..."

He hesitated.

"...belongs to something horrible."

His deep voice had the serious tone Jennie had never heard before.

Even Roxy fell silent.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

Snow quietly shook his head.

"I don’t know."

"But whatever has awakened..."

"...is ancient."

The wind became stronger.

Gently beating the wooden pier, waves were moving.

Closing her eyes, Jennie could clearly hear...

This faint call.

As though someone far below the ocean was calling her name.

Suddenly...

A familiar voice resounded in her mind.

It was warm, calm, and ancient.

"Jennie."

Reaching for the hilt under her coat, Jennie instinctively held it.

It was Excalibur.

"You feel it too?" she asked silently.

Unusually confidently, Excalibur answered.

"Yes."

Silently waiting for a while, Jennie heard the sword say only one word.

"Leviathan."

Jennie’s eyes widened.

It was one of the Seven Divine Swords.

It was the Sword of Oceans.

And it was still sleeping for a thousand years.

Turning his head towards Jennie, Snow did not ask what the Divine Sword said.

The look in Jennie’s eyes told him everything.

Jennie looked into the endless ocean beyond the horizon.

Painted by the red rays of the setting sun, it shone brightly.

Quiet smile appeared on her face.

"I think..."

Taking a deep breath, she said.

"...it’s waiting."

The early morning of the following day...

A medium-sized exploration vessel was peacefully lying in Pier Seven.

Unlike the merchant ships, it was equipped with reinforced hull, enchanted sails, and powerful rune circles.

Experienced sailors were loading the supplies on it.

The water mages were checking the magical barriers.

The navigators were studying the ancient sea charts.

Captain Helena, the stern woman with sun-tanned skin and silver streaks in her hair, greeted them.

"So..."

"You three accepted the investigation request?"

Jennie nodded politely.

"Yes."

"We’ll try to help."

Captain Helena looked at Snow.

"I’ve heard the stories about the Divine Wolf."

Snow smiled.

"Actually, my name is Snow."

She smiled back at him.

"Alright."

Then she looked at the calm western ocean.

"For thirty years, I’ve sailed through these waters."

Her smile slowly went away.

"I’ve never been afraid."

She paused.

"But this time..."

"...the ocean feels as though it’s waiting for someone."

Jennie silently stepped aboard.

Behind her came Roxy, holding her books firmly.

Following her, Snow was shining bright under the morning sun.

The sailors lifted the anchor.

The enchanted sails caught the wind.

Slowly...

The ship left the shelter of the Aurelis Harbor.

In front of them there was only endless western ocean.

Somewhere beneath these calm blue waves...

The ancient temple was awakening.

Waiting patiently...

For the girl who now carries the destiny of two Divine Swords.