"Confirm job change!"

[Job change successful. Current occupation: Fisherman]

[Attribute bonus gained: Strength +1, Agility +1]

[Trait gained: Hydrological Intuition]

[Hydrological Intuition: When near a body of water, automatically senses the locations of fish-type creatures and marks the best fishing spots with water ripple effects. Perception range depends on Spirit attribute.]

The instant the system notification faded, a cool sensation spread from the back of Roland's neck through his entire body.

Roland felt his consciousness diffuse through the surrounding sea like ink dropped into water.

When he focused, the dark seawater turned transparent.

Schools of tuna passed beneath the boat, their swimming paths outlined like golden threads. Groupers hiding among the reefs flickered with orange-red halos.

Even sardine schools that were usually difficult to notice were now as clear as the night sky.

Hydrological Intuition? A Trait that's better than nothing... wait!

His fingertips tapped the edge of the boat, and his gaze locked onto the first line of the Trait description.

Fish-type creatures? Then...

Recalling the fishmen attack he had suffered at sea, Roland's brow tightened.

Do fishmen count as fish-type creatures? If so...

Thinking of those monsters that vanished and reappeared in the deep sea, often launching sudden attacks when people relaxed their guard, the corner of Roland's mouth lifted.

If I can sense the movements of fishmen, then this Trait will be quite useful in battle.

While he was thinking, another line of golden text entered his vision.

Unexpectedly, what appeared on the occupation panel was not the usual Extra Buff triggered by Occupation Resonance, but a passage of text somewhat unfamiliar to Roland.

[Detected that Host has changed into the base occupation: Fisherman]

[Detected that Host has changed into the upper occupation: Warrior]

[Searching...]

[Upon inspection, you qualify for the hidden occupation: Pirate]

[Requirements: Strength 7, Agility 9, 2/4 sea survival skills, 2/2 short weapon-related skills, plunder 0/5 large ships]

[Host does not meet the job requirements]

"Hidden occupation?"

As the golden text fully unfolded, Roland's eyes widened.

He clearly remembered that the game he had downloaded before had mentioned a profession chain specialized in water combat in its promotional materials.

But its starting point had been Sailor, and after repeated advancements, the final occupation was Captain. There had never been any mention of Pirate.

In fact, pirates usually appeared in the game as hostile NPCs.

Aside from triggering resonance to gain buffs, occupation combinations can actually activate hidden occupations?

Roland looked thoughtfully at the Occupation column on the panel.

Including Fisherman, he had already changed into ten occupations, yet only one hidden occupation had been activated.

Could there be other hidden requirements besides occupation combinations?

Shaking his head, Roland set these scattered thoughts aside for now.

In any case, triggering a new occupation is always a good thing. As for the job requirements...

His gaze stopped on the final line, and his brows tightened.

Strength and Agility have already reached the standard, and two sea survival skills are no problem. But this requirement to plunder five large ships...

The problem was not that large ships were difficult to find.

In the River Kingdoms, large merchant vessels came and went everywhere.

With his current strength, plundering a large merchant vessel without a Transcendent Professional guarding it would be easy.

But doing so would not only completely offend the merchant forces of the River Kingdoms, it would also be morally indefensible.

Considering that he might need to stay in the River Kingdoms for a long time, and that he had accepted Colin's recruitment, he had already been marked as someone from the merchant faction.

If he went to plunder merchant guild ships now...

He only wanted to satisfy the job change requirements. He did not want to become an infamous pirate fleeing for his life.

The sun sank westward, and the distant lighthouse rang with a melodious bell, reminding fishing boats out at sea to return in time.

Roland looked toward the sound. Seeing the darkening sky, he shook his head. With no time to check the various buffs triggered by [Fisherman], he skillfully turned the bow and sailed back toward the harbor.

As for changing into [Pirate], I'll need to consider it carefully.

Under his control, the small boat cut across the calm surface and soon reached shore.

After disembarking, Roland casually sold the fish he had just caught to a nearby fishmonger.

Since [Fishing] had already reached max level, he probably would not make a living by fishing again in the future.

As for increasing [Cooking] experience, that could be done with other ingredients.

After dealing with the catch, Roland returned home, changed into proper formal attire, and followed Galvez to Marston's mansion.

"Whoa! There really are a lot of people here!"

The moment he got off the boat, Galvez plucked the harp in his hands and sighed at the bustling crowd before the mansion.

"As expected of the head of the River Kingdoms' noble faction. The scale is extraordinary."

Roland ignored his companion's exaggerated behavior and carefully observed the nobles coming and going.

Like the nobles of the Golden Valley Kingdom, these people were dressed in luxurious clothing.

Unlike them, however, their movements followed etiquette with a deliberate stiffness.

They looked like people clumsily imitating the bearing nobles ought to have, without the innate elegance Roland remembered.

"Let's go, Roland!"

Galvez stood at the mansion entrance, already seeming to smell the wine and roast meat drifting from within.

After several consecutive days of fish as his staple food, the bard's appetite was immediately stirred. He impatiently pulled Roland toward the mansion.

When the guards at the door saw Galvez, they not only allowed him through, but smiled familiarly and joked with him.

This was enough to prove that the bard had not been lying when he claimed to move comfortably among noble circles.

Under his lead, Roland easily passed through the richly decorated corridor and entered the banquet hall.

"Roland..."

Galvez took a wine cup from a passing attendant, drained it in one gulp, and smacked his lips with lingering enjoyment.

"I need to go onstage and sing later, so I have to prepare first. Look..."

He indicated several distinguished guests in the hall with his eyes.

"That one, that one, and that one are all important figures in the River Kingdoms' noble faction. If you're not in a hurry, wait a bit and I'll introduce you."

After patting Roland's shoulder, Galvez lowered his voice and gave a few more reminders before leaving.

Roland nodded and scanned his surroundings, discovering that the atmosphere here was almost identical to the banquet in Far Harbor.

The nobles gathered in groups of two or three, raising cups and drinking, discussing unimportant romantic gossip and idle matters.

He was about to find a quiet corner to examine his occupation panel and study the buffs triggered by the Fisherman occupation and his other occupations when steady, powerful footsteps sounded.

Looking toward the sound, he saw a middle-aged man in a fitted formal suit walking toward the center of the hall, surrounded by the crowd.

Roland took a light sip of the pale yellow wine in his cup, his thoughtful gaze falling on the middle-aged noble at the center of the crowd.

That should be... Marston, the head of the noble faction.

Although this leader of the noble faction was nearly fifty, he still held himself upright.

The lines time had carved into his face did not diminish his bearing. Instead, they faintly revealed the handsome contours of his youth.

Unlike the other nobles of the River Kingdoms, the elegance Marston displayed in speech and movement resembled the nobles of the Golden Valley Kingdom, carrying a calm ease that seemed innate.

The only flaw was his crippled right leg. At the moment, he leaned casually on a cane, which slightly damaged the aristocratic poise he maintained.

"Everyone!"

Marston raised his wine cup high, his face brimming with unconcealed joy.

"I believe many of you have already heard the purpose of this banquet..."

He deliberately paused, letting anticipation spread through the crowd.

"That's right! I have forged a friendship with the Dwarf King. Soon, Dwarf craftsmen will come to assist in the construction of our nation!"

"To friendship!"

"To friendship!"

Under Marston's lead, the nobles raised their cups and cheered. Within that wave of sound, Roland could hear the release of resentment accumulated over ordinary days.

Yet hearing this news, Roland frowned slightly.

As far as he knew, there did not seem to be any Dwarf-founded nation near the River Kingdoms.

And...

Why are they so excited?

By rights, given the River Kingdoms' abundant resources, establishing relations with another country should have been an ordinary matter. Why would it provoke such an enthusiastic reaction?

Just as Roland was thinking, calm footsteps came from outside the hall.

A group dressed in refined formalwear, their chests embroidered with various seafood patterns, walked in.

People from the merchant faction?

Roland was inwardly surprised.

During this period, he had already gained a full understanding of the tense relationship between the two major factions.

When his gaze fell on the leader, he immediately understood.

So this must be Derek.

The man had a rounded figure without appearing bloated, and his kind smile carried a hint of calculation.

He opened his arms, ignored the surprised or resentful gazes of the surrounding nobles, and walked straight toward Marston.

"Oh, my dear old friend! Why didn't you notify me that you were holding such a grand banquet?"

The smile on Marston's face stiffened for the briefest instant, then returned to normal.

He warmly embraced Derek and replied with deeper meaning, "Welcome, Derek. I was worried you were busy with official matters. After all..."

He paused meaningfully.

"I hear the rules of the Elven race are rather complicated. I was afraid you would have no time to spare."

Derek chuckled twice and said at an unhurried pace, "I have indeed been occupied recently, but when it comes to such a major matter as establishing relations with another country, how could I not come discuss it with you? For this..."

Before he finished, heavy footsteps suddenly echoed through the hall.

In the blink of an eye, a figure as burly as a mountain appeared before everyone.

"It really is lively..."

Seeing Graham appear, Roland's brows lifted, and his gaze swept across the hall.

The merchant faction could barely hide the smugness on their faces, while the nobles' expressions changed abruptly. Some even showed fear in their eyes.

With Graham's arrival, the originally noisy banquet hall fell silent.

Derek seemed not to notice and continued.

"For this... I specifically invited Mr. Graham here. I think..."

Looking at Marston's fading smile, the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.

"You have not forgotten our previous agreement. When discussing state affairs, Mr. Graham has the right to be present as a witness, does he not?"

"You are right, old friend..."

Marston nodded expressionlessly. After sweeping his gaze over the silent Graham, he leaned on his cane and stepped aside.

"This way, please."

"Thank you."

Derek replied politely, gave a few instructions to his attendants, then followed Marston away together with Graham. They soon disappeared from everyone's sight.

After the three left, the atmosphere in the banquet hall immediately turned strange.

Although the sound of conversation did not lessen, the merchant faction and noble faction clearly stood on opposite sides, separated by an invisible barrier.

This subtle atmosphere only eased when Galvez took the stage to sing.

The bard's singing seemed to contain some kind of magic, dispersing the heaviness in the air.

Under the guidance of his song, although the two factions still did not interact, they became absorbed in the banquet atmosphere.

Only Roland was not affected at all.

He observed everything before him with interest, his gaze lingering especially on the figure singing freely on the platform.

The power of a bard... does this count as some kind of mental control?

He recalled his first meeting with Galvez, as well as the strange atmosphere between Galvez and Avril that day.

Why did this bard choose me? Merely because of my strength? And...

Thinking of the brown-haired Elf girl who was excessively enthusiastic toward him, Roland frowned slightly.

He did not think Avril's enthusiasm came purely from his appearance.

It was not that he was paranoid. He simply believed there was no love or hatred in this world without cause.

His friendship with Sean and the others had been forged through shared experiences, but Galvez and Avril...

Just as Roland was deep in thought, the door leading to the inner room opened again.

Unlike before, this time Derek walked at the front, while Marston and Graham followed behind him.

The principal of the Knight Academy remained expressionless, but the change in the middle-aged noble was obvious.

The noble, who had still been elegant moments ago, now pressed his lips tightly together, and his cane struck the ground with dull sounds.

Looks like the negotiations weren't pleasant.

Sensing the abnormal atmosphere, Roland set down his wine cup and quietly moved to the side.

In the distance, Galvez, who had just finished singing, was waving to him from below the platform.

But these disputes have nothing to do with me. The urgent matter is to inquire about the noble faction's view of the Wolf King.

Just as he was thinking, his sharp hearing caught footsteps approaching.

Roland stopped and looked toward the sound.

After separating from Marston, Derek walked straight toward him.

"You must be Mr. Roland?"

Derek's rounded face wore a formulaic kind smile.

"When corresponding with Colin, I often heard him mention you. I truly apologize..."

He turned his head slightly and glanced at the silent Marston at the center of the crowd.

"For involving you in a dispute that has nothing to do with you."

This attitude of humbly valuing talent surprised Roland slightly, but he quickly recovered and bowed.

"You are too serious, Mr. Derek."

"I have already spoken with Mr. Graham."

Derek went straight to the point, looking at Roland with sincere eyes.

"He may have... played a small joke on you earlier. Please do not mind."

"Tomorrow morning, you may go to the Knight Academy and find old Nielsen to collect the Knight breathing method."