Captain Wellcrow glanced at Reina and replied. "My brother was on the Golden Seagull. She’s a treasure galleon carrying the seasonal tribute for the Papalon Holy Kingdom. Filled with gold coins, gems, ancient relics..."

Reina crossed her arms and cut him. "And your brother?"

"He was the first mate." Captain Wellcrow said. His voice dropped an octave. "I don't care about the gold. I care about my kin."

He sounded sincere, but Jack wasn't that gullible.

The captain took a deep breath and continued. "The Golden Seagull got swallowed three days ago. If anyone is still alive, they're trapped in the eye of that mist. I'm putting together a small fleet to go in, grab the survivors, and get out."

"And the treasure?" Jack asked.

Captain Wellcrow waved a hand dismissively. "The captains who help me can split it. Every last coin. I won’t take a cent. I just want my brother back on dry land."

Jack felt a flicker of amusement. It was a classic setup. A 'too-good-to-be-true' offer designed to lure the greedy. A man with his kind of karma was very unlikely to be a selfless philanthropist. This was a trap, or at the very least, a very dangerous half-truth.

"A treasure galleon and a selfless rescue mission." Jack said. "It’s a moving story, Captain. But I don't make decisions for my crew without consulting them first. My ship is the Ocean Wanderer."

Captain Wellcrow's eyebrows shot up. "I haven't heard of your ship. Not from this area?"

"From Lonestone." Jack replied briefly.

"Anyway... We leave in two days." Wellcrow said. Leaning back. "Dawn. Meet the fleet south of Orchard Island. If you're there, you're in. If not, I'll assume you didn't have the stomach for it."

Jack didn't bother with a goodbye. He turned and walked out. Reina followed close at his heels.

The early night air of Appleseed Town was cool and smelled of ripening fruit. A stark contrast to the tavern's stench. They walked in silence for a few minutes before Reina spoke.

"He's lying, Dear." She said softly.

"About which part?" Jack asked.

"The money. Nobody leaves a galleon's worth of gold on the table for others. And his aura was… oily. He doesn't look like anyone who cares about his kin."

"He's a shark-man, Love. And that's actually literal." Jack said. He calmly explained what his [Eyes of Judgement] had revealed. "He's a primal sorcerer, shapeshifter. He’s likely looking for pawns or sacrifices for whatever he was searching. Or maybe he really does want that treasure and knows he can't get it alone. The 'brother' is probably fake."

"Then why did you tell him we'd consider it?"

Jack kept walking while answering. "Because we need to head to Barrentree Island anyway. It's our next stop. And the Hungry Mist is an intriguing phenomenon of mystical energy. If it is truly a spatial gate, we might be truly lucky. Besides, do we need to be afraid even if he tries to betray us?"

Reina smiled. It wasn't a kind smile. It was the smile of a beautiful woman with nasty plan. "I'll prepare to inscribe a useful spell in my grimoire, just in case."

"Yeah. Do that!" Jack said. Patting her hand.

...

They reached the docks and climbed the gangplank of the Ocean Wanderer. Despite its common look, the ship felt alive beneath Jack's feet. It wasn't just wood and iron vessel after all. It was a ghost ship in disguise.

"Let's gather everyone in the main cabin." Jack told Reina. "We need to discuss the shark captain's offer."

Reina nodded and immediately separated from Jack. Going to a different direction to inform the crew members.

Ten minutes later...

The expedition members were gathered around the long, heavy oak table in the ship's main cabin. The air was thick with the scent of Don Donson’s cooking, a late-night stew of root vegetables and salted beef.

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Baroness Artheim sat at the head. Her posture was perfect despite the late hour. Beside her were Bell, Ned, and Moby. Her loyal retainers.

Not far from them, Leon Drake was cleaning a specialized grappling hook tools. Beside him, the healers, Serene and Autumn, chatted idly. They looked tired but still attentive to the surrounding.

Nearby, Chloe Chase, the teenage mystic scholar, was busy scratching notes into a leather-bound journal. Her lightning kirin cub, Sparkle, was curled at her feet. Occasionally letting off a tiny static pop.

Reina sat on the chair next to them. Rune, the fairy guide, was on her shoulder. Her body pulsed with a steady, calm blue light.

Jack stood at the map table. He didn't waste time with pleasantries.

"We’ve been invited to a party." Jack started. "A man named Captain Wellcrow is organizing a fleet to enter the Hungry Mist south of here near Barrentree Island. He says a treasure galleon, the Golden Seagull, is trapped inside. He claims he only wants to save his brother and that we can keep the gold and treasures."

Leon Drake snorted. "And I’m the King of Elrush. I've heard of this Wellcrow. There's no way he would give away valuable treasure."

"He's a liar." Jack agreed bluntly. "I've checked. He's a transcendent being. A Primal Sorcerer with a winged shark-man form. And his track record isn't clean. He’s dangerous."

"Then why are we even talking about this?" Moby asked, leaning forward. "If it's a trap, we steer clear."

"Because..." Jack said. Pointing to the map where Barrentree Island was marked, "the Hungry Mist is on the way to our next stop. If we want to continue our expedition into the Myriad Archipelago, we’re going to have to deal with it eventually."

Argust nodded. "True. It's better to face it with a group of potential pawns... I mean, 'allies'... than to face it alone."

Chloe Chase raised her hand. "Captain? I’ve read about the Hungry Mist in the archives of the Lonestone Mystic Library. It isn't just weather phenomenon. Anything that goes in never comes out."

"True." Baroness Artheim agreed. "It's suspected to be a one-way 'Spatial Crack' leading to an unknown spatial realm. There's also a theory that say it is a manifestation of an ancient sea curse. Another theory claims that it is a mystical creature that doesn't just eat ships, it digests them. The wood becomes part of the fog, and the living people... well, they don't leave."

"Sounds lovely!" Barnaby muttered. Plucking a dissonant string on his lute. "A dirge in the making."

"It seems risky." Leon said cautiously. But his eyes were gleaming. "But risk is usually proportional to fortune. This Wellcrow guy is unreliable though. He's probably planning on using the joining ships as the fodders to find the Golden Seagull."

Baroness Artheim looked at Jack. "You're the Captain of this vessel, Jack. What is your assessment?"

Jack leaned his hands on the table. "We go with them. But we don't go as part of Wellcrow's fleet. We follow at a distance. Invisible. Let Wellcrow and whatever other greedy fools he recruits take the brunt of the mist's power."

"We'll use that to find the secrets of the Hungry Mist." He continued. "If it is a creature or a curse we have no clue how to handle, we leave. If it is a spatial gate to a different realm, we'll go in."

"How will we return?" Serene, the older healer, asked. "It's said that anything that goes in never comes out, doesn't it?"

"I have an artifact that allows me to return to a specific place. It will work even if we are in different realm." Jack said confidently.

Reina nodded. "We have used it several times. It can indeed teleport both of us out of a spatial realm. But, will it be enough for all of us?"

"Why do I need to do that?" Jack raised his eyebrows. "All of you could just enter my Mirror Mansion. And I'll bring the mirror out with me. Easy."

"What about the navigation's direction?" Argust Osprey, the ship’s navigator, asked. He was naturally concerned about his tasks. "I'm confident in my navigation ability in real world. But, inside the spatial realm... we might be sailing blind."

Jack looked at Rune. The fairy glowed with a soft, pulsing violet light. "Rune isn't affected by magnetic interference or visual obscuration. She is a fairy guide. She’ll be our compass."

The room went quiet. The risk was high. But the potential rewards were too significant to ignore.

"Alright!" Baroness Artheim finally said. "Let's do this like your plan, Captain. After all, there are more dangers, very likely worse, in our destinations in the Myriad Archipelago."

"I don't mind either." Leon agreed. "Let's do it!"

Jack looked at the other crew members. All of them nodded their heads. Willing to take the risk of the Hungry Mist.

"Alright, Don!" Jack called out.

The cook looked up from his stew. "Aye, Captain?"

"Restock the food tomorrow." Jack immediately gave instruction. "And double the rations for the next two days. I want everyone at full strength."

"Aye, Captain!" Don quickly replied.

"Argust! Check the map and find information about the wind and current." Jack continued giving instructions. "Bell, Moby, Ned! You'll help me produce more ammunition later. We might need more combat power."

"Understood, Captain!" Argust said. Bell, Moby, and Ned nodded in serious expression. Understanding the necessities..

Jack turned back to the map. "We have two days to prepare. Get your gear ready. Barnaby, Leon... find information about Wellcrow and the ones he manages to recruit."

Leon and Barnaby nodded. Accepting their task without any complain.

"Alright!" Jack decided to end the meeting. "Go back to your businesses, Ladies and Gentlemen!"

As the crew dispersed, talking in hushed, anxious tones, Reina stayed behind. She waited until the room was mostly empty before approaching Jack.

"You're not planning on teleporting back to Lonestone or Sapphire City, are you Dear?" She asked.

Jack looked at her. "Of course not. Don't worry, Love. There are still some spaces empty in my [Nine-Anchor Portal Ring]. I'll set one in this island before we depart."

"Great!" Reina gave a relieved sigh. "I forgot that your ring still had more un-set anchors."

"Come, Love!" Jack said. Leading her back to their personal cabin. "We need our rest. The next few days are going to be very busy."

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