"Don't say things like 'farewell dinner'..."

Roland stepped forward and flicked the Elf girl's smooth forehead with his finger.

"You make it sound like this is our last meal together."

"Hehe..."

Avril rubbed the little red mark on her forehead and giggled as she leaned in close, her breath almost brushing Roland's cheek.

"Roland, are you... worried about me?"

Her gaze locked onto Roland's face with a teasing smile, trying to catch every subtle change in his expression.

But Roland's next answer made her pause.

"Of course."

Roland answered the Elf girl's probing almost without hesitation.

Although Avril's motive for approaching him remained a mystery, their time together was enough for Roland to be certain that she bore no malice.

Moreover, the decisiveness with which she had followed him to clear out monsters without a word had long since made Roland regard her as a true friend.

As he spoke, Roland beckoned to Avril, signaling for her to follow, then turned and walked straight toward his room.

Avril casually waved at Hobby and followed with light steps.

After entering the room, Roland took an exquisitely made belt pouch from a nearby wooden cabinet and placed it on the table.

"These are some potions I prepared. Their effects are not especially strong, but at critical moments, they may work wonders. Also..."

As he spoke, he took out the items he had prepared in advance one by one.

"This is leather armor made to your measurements."

"I originally wanted to forge sturdier chain mail or plate armor, but considering your fighting style, I chose flexible leather. Aside from that..."

The items on the wooden table piled up into a small mountain.

Avril looked at Roland's back as he continued taking out objects. Her white teeth gently bit her lower lip, and the bright light in her eyes, which had carried a faint layer of disguise, quietly receded.

In its place was a softer, more complicated emotion, flowing silently through the gaze she fixed on him.

Roland did not notice the change in the Elf girl's eyes.

He only rubbed his chin and examined the items piled on the table.

"Mm, these should be about enough... wait!"

A thought struck him, and he quickly walked to a corner of the wooden house.

When he turned back, there was already a brand-new longbow in his hand.

"I observed your fighting style before. Compared with a short bow, this kind of longbow will let you bring out your strength advantage more easily."

As he spoke, Roland handed over the longbow.

Avril accepted it, her fingertips brushing over the smooth, warm bow body as she examined it.

The longbow had substantial weight and had been meticulously crafted from fine dark purpleheart wood.

The grain of the bow body was dense and flowing, polished smooth and warm to the touch.

The bow arms were not simple arcs, but crescent-like curves filled with powerful beauty, perfectly suited to the way Elves exerted force when drawing a bow.

The grip was wrapped in supple leather that fit every inch of her palm closely, tailored to her hand.

The bow tips had clean, sharp lines and were inlaid with faintly glittering silver patterns.

"This workmanship..."

Avril plucked the bowstring, surprise stirring in her eyes.

"Roland's forging skill is this good?"

Just as the Elf girl sighed inwardly, her gaze touched the inner side of the bow near the grip, and her breath caught.

There, clear and solemn, conspicuous letters had been engraved.

Avril Starwhisper.

Every letter's carved line was deep and smooth, carrying an unmistakably exclusive mark.

Warmth rose in Avril's heart, but her expression did not change. She only let out a long breath, still wearing her usual playful smile.

Yet her dry voice revealed the unrest within her.

"Roland, these things... were all specially prepared for me?"

"Of course."

Roland nodded.

Because the Blacksmith Guild's reserve of resources was quite abundant, while polishing [Basic Blacksmithing], he had spent his own money to forge many tools and pieces of equipment he needed. Avril's longbow was one of them.

"So..."

Seeing the open expression on the young man's face, Avril looked away unnaturally and tucked her brown hair behind her ear. She was just about to say something else when Roland's words interrupted her.

"But your longbow should count as one of the easier things to forge."

As Roland spoke, he took two more items from the corner.

A brand-new harp, and a slender longsword that flashed with cold light beneath the sun.

"Teresa's rapier took me a great deal of effort to forge successfully because the blade is so thin. As for Galvez..."

Thinking of the many requests that bard had made, Roland helplessly shook his head.

"That fellow had the most demands. I think next time..."

Hum!

Just as Roland was complaining, a clear bowstring hum rang in his ears.

"Uh..."

He turned and looked at Avril, who had her head lowered slightly, making her expression impossible to see.

Although he did not know what had happened, Roland instinctively felt that something was off. His tone softened as he asked cautiously,

"Avril, is there... something wrong with the longbow?"

"There is nothing wrong with the longbow. I like it very much. It's just..."

The Elf girl raised her head again, the bright look of her usual self restored in her eyes.

"I feel especially hungry today, so I want to eat a lot of things. For example..."

Avril rattled off a long string of dish names, only stopping a while later with a smile.

"As my farewell dinner before setting out, I think Roland... you should satisfy my request, right?"

"This..."

Roland recalled that long list of dishes and frowned in confusion.

"Avril, when did your appetite become like Teresa's..."

Before he could finish, another clear hum of the bowstring rang out.

Roland swallowed the rest of his words and nodded.

"No problem. But making that much food may take me... more time than usual."

"That is fine."

Avril patted Roland's shoulder and tilted her head playfully.

"I set out tomorrow morning, and I have no other plans tonight. I can wait."

The instant her words fell, the Elf girl's light pat turned heavy, landing as a hard punch.

Bang!

After the dull impact, the Elf girl ignored Roland's pained frown and turned to leave the room.

"This girl... wasn't she perfectly fine just now?"

Roland rubbed his aching chest and shook his head helplessly.

"Is the pressure of subjugating the Wolf King really that great?"

After tidying up briefly, Roland turned and walked toward the kitchen.

Although Avril had ordered many dishes, his exquisite cooking skill still brought them all perfectly to the dining table.

The sky darkened.

Galvez, who had attended a banquet, and Teresa, who had returned from training, also came home.

For a time, the courtyard filled with cheerful conversation and laughter.

After dinner, Roland cleaned up briefly, then lay down on the soft bed and sank into dreamland.

Early the next morning, after seeing Avril off as she set out, Roland headed for the harbor.

Hobby's efficiency was truly astonishing.

Last night, the Halfling had still been enjoying dinner beside Roland. By early this morning, all the sailors he had promised to gather were already in position.

Not only that, the deck that had seemed empty yesterday was now piled with necessary supplies.

Roland watched the sailors bustling across the deck and nodded in satisfaction.

Just as Hobby had said, although these sailors were older, and some even had physical disabilities, every one of them moved efficiently and capably.

Their orderly, unflustered division of labor fully displayed rich sailing experience.

"Mr. Roland, you are here?"

Hobby caught sight of Roland, gave a few more instructions to a one-eyed sailor beside him, then walked forward with a thick roll of parchment in hand.

"This is the estimated daily expenditure. Please take a look."

Roland accepted the parchment, glanced over it, then handed it back.

On one hand, it was because he trusted Hobby. On the other hand...

He had no experience as a captain, so naturally, he did not understand much about sailing expenses.

"I will leave these matters to you, Hobby. What I care about more is..."

Roland reached out and patted the ship's side, leaning forward as he looked toward the endless sea.

"When can we set sail? I can hardly wait to put the sailing knowledge you taught me into practice."

Hearing the trust in those words, a gentle smile appeared on Hobby's face.

He immediately straightened his back, bowed, and said,

"Captain Roland, as long as you give the order, we can set out to sea immediately!"

"Then I will be counting on you, First Mate Hobby..."

Roland blinked and waved his hand.

"Set sail!"

"Aye!"

With loud orders, the Seabird eased out of the harbor and headed toward the open sea.

Although Hobby was there to oversee things, with many experienced sailors working together, Roland did not take sailing lightly.

He only instructed Hobby to sail in waters near the Royal Capital, treating it as his first practice.

When the Seabird was sailing steadily across the sea, Roland immediately activated the [Focus] trait. While recalling the knowledge Hobby had taught him, he personally practiced various sailing techniques.

With both hands resting steadily on the smooth oak helm,

the sea breeze swept across the deck with a salty, fishy scent, stirring the stray hair on his forehead.

Hobby's voice sounded clearly and steadily from the side, a guiding beacon beside him.

"Remember the feeling, Captain Roland. The helm is not a dead thing. It is part of the Seabird. Feel the force of the waves pushing against the hull..."

"Yes, that's it. A slight adjustment is better than a violent turn. Now, try to hold a course fifteen degrees north by east and let the side wind push us along."

Roland focused completely, casting aside all distracting thoughts.

Before his eyes, the sea chart Hobby had drawn on parchment seemed to appear, along with the lines and notes describing the relationship between wind direction, currents, and the ship's posture.

He carefully turned the helm with tiny movements, his gaze fixed on the compass mounted at the bow.

Outside the ship's side, waves slapped against the hull with regular splashes. The bow cut through the deep-blue seawater, leaving a churning trail of white foam.

"Good! Very steady!"

Hobby nodded approvingly, his sharp eyes constantly watching the fullness of the sails and the ship's subtle shifts.

"Now, pay attention to the fluttering at the leech of the mainsail. It isn't taking the wind fully. It's 'complaining,' Captain Roland. What do you think we need to adjust?"

Roland raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the massive mainsail.

He recalled Hobby's explanation of "sail curve" and "wind angle."

He noticed that the rear edge of the canvas was indeed flapping and trembling, like a leaking leather bag.

"We need to... tighten the clew line?"

He made the judgment with some uncertainty.

"Exactly right!"

Hobby grinned, revealing his two distinctive little canine teeth.

"Try doing it! Remember, tighten the rope bit by bit. Feel the change as the canvas grows taut, until that annoying flapping sound disappears."

Roland walked to the capstan below the mainmast. Several experienced sailors were already standing by, encouragement in their eyes.

He gripped the cold capstan handle and began turning it with force.

The rope creaked through the pulley blocks and drew tight.

As he turned it, he watched the rear edge of the mainsail closely.

When the canvas grew taut, that irritating flapping weakened and vanished. The sail surface became full and smooth, and the hull seemed to gain new thrust, speeding up slightly.

"Beautifully done, Captain Roland!"

Hobby walked to his side and patted his arm.

"Now, once more, but not for correction. This time, we are going to 'snatch wind.'"

He pointed to an area off the starboard bow where the wind and waves were stronger.

"See that darker patch of water? The wind will be stronger there. We adjust the course a little and take that strong wind fully. It can save a great deal of time."

Roland returned to the helm again. The [Focus] trait made his perception of the surrounding environment unusually sharp.

And the Extra Buff [Sea Gazing] provided by the occupations [Fisherman] and [Scholar] made him seem able to "hear" the subtle differences in the wind from different directions, and "see" the changes in wind strength reflected by ripples on the sea surface.

Following Hobby's instructions, he carefully turned the helm a few degrees to the right, letting the bow cut into the strong-wind area.

The Seabird seemed to be pushed by an invisible hand. The hull tilted, and its speed abruptly increased.

Roland felt the slant of the deck beneath his feet and the greater resistance transmitted through the helm, working to maintain his balance and the new course. Excitement at controlling wind and waves surged in his heart.

Hobby watched closely throughout, occasionally issuing short instructions.

"Hold the helm steady... good! Watch the mizzen, don't let it steal the mainsail's wind... yes, loosen the mizzen sheet a little..."

For the rest of the time, under Hobby's guidance, Roland repeatedly practiced these basic yet crucial sailing techniques.

Correcting the course according to the compass and shore markers, adjusting sail angles under different wind directions, sensing the hull's response under different sea conditions, learning to use a simple sounding lead to judge water depth...

Hobby's guidance was precise and practical. There were no lengthy theoretical explanations, only reminders at key moments and personal demonstrations, turning profound sailing knowledge into concrete operations and perception training.

Sweat soaked through Roland's linen shirt, and the long period of intense mental concentration brought fatigue. Yet his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

Every successful operation, every time he felt the hull respond to his command, deepened his understanding of the ocean and gave him a more real grasp of the identity of "captain."

The golden glow of the setting sun scattered across the shimmering sea, outlining the Seabird and the tireless figure practicing on deck.

Roland did not limit himself to the four sea survival techniques required to become a [Pirate]. Instead, he put all the knowledge Hobby had poured out to him into practice, striving to integrate it fully.

After all, he now had the Seabird, Hobby's broad sailing knowledge, and many experienced sailors.

With this luxurious setup, settling for only four sailing techniques would be an enormous waste.

In this diligent, unceasing study, Roland lived on the sea for half a month before he knew it.

His originally fair skin had taken on a faint bronze sheen beneath the sunlight.

When he saw the new lines of text in the skill column of the occupation panel, satisfaction surged in his heart.

"Sail Handling, Helmsmanship, Nautical Chart Recognition, Nautical Chart Drawing, Swimming, Diving, Ship Repair, Marine Flora and Fauna Identification... I have transformed all the knowledge Hobby taught me into skills. I am only missing the requirement to 'plunder five large ships' before becoming a [Pirate]."

Reviewing the nearly ten sea survival techniques on the panel, Roland nodded in satisfaction.

"It is time to return. On one hand, I need to gather intelligence about nearby pirates. On the other..."

His gaze fell on [Basic Magic Theory], which now displayed "max level," and Roland clenched his fist tightly.

During this time at sea, aside from painstakingly practicing sailing techniques, he had never slackened in his study of [Basic Magic Theory].

If not for the insufficient tools carried aboard, leaving the practical requirement of "engraving spell circuits" short by a few attempts, he might have successfully become an [Enchanter] several days ago.

"I wonder what trait [Enchanter] will grant me? And after it triggers resonance with [Knight Apprentice], what kind of Extra Buff will be produced?"

Thinking of this, Roland no longer hesitated. He strode out of the cabin, waved his arm toward Hobby and the sailors on deck, and gave a clear order.

"Everyone, heed my order! Destination, Royal Capital. Return voyage!"

"Aye, Captain!"