Later that day, Aiven received his Captain's uniform, although it was just a simple additional epaulet. Compared to the uniform of a Sub-Lieutenant and ordinary soldiers, it was a qualitative change.
Encouraged by Gary and several familiar sailors from the ship, the group went to a decent tavern in the city of Gabred to celebrate for Aiven.
If Gel hadn't set off temporarily leaving Gabred two days ago, there should have been a celebration banquet involving all crew members of the "Silver Wings" tonight.
"Cheers!"
"Boss, you can't drink the butter beer anymore. There's actually no alcohol in it; it's for kids."
"Yeah yeah, drink this Bacano, my father says only the strongest rum is worthy of the bravest men at sea."
"Hahaha...."
Lifting their glasses, they cheered each other. They were all young people who performed excellently on the Silver Wings, and being of similar age, they were at ease at the table, without any obvious hierarchy. This was also related to Aiven's always approachable demeanor.
If Gel or First Mate Perry were here, the atmosphere would never be like this.
Meanwhile, in another inland city several kilometers away from Gabred, a grand banquet was also being held.
The brilliantly lit manor, illuminated by countless gas lamps, was as bright as day. Exquisite wines and delicacies from around the world filled the air with aroma, as noblewomen, debutantes, and guests swayed and danced in the ballroom, indulging in revelry.
Such a luxurious banquet was obviously not for trivial matters.
"A pleasure to cooperate, Colonel!" said Count Stuyak, raising his glass to clink with the tall, gray-haired officer, who was clearly in high spirits.
"The pleasure is mine, Count!" The gray-haired officer replied with a smile, satisfied with the successful transaction that met their respective needs.
After handling a round of necessary social etiquettes, Gel stood by the tall French window of the manor, quietly looking in the direction of Gabred, holding a glass of wine.
"The items I ordered from the Logistics Department should have arrived, right? The fledgling may still be a bit immature, but it's showing its prowess against the sky. Ferman, your son is excellent; it's time for him to take another step on the Extraordinary Path... I hope everything will go smoothly."
...
Over on Aiven's side, although simple, the celebration gathering, with its evidently more sincere emotions, also came to an end. Stepping out of the tavern, everyone's relationships clearly became closer.
Having drunk the strong Bacano, the slightly tipsy sailors swaggered, arm in arm, towards the port.
At this moment, be it out of admiration for Aiven's own abilities or influenced by his officer status, Aiven was naturally surrounded in the center.
The crowd's flattery gave this person, who had only served as a class officer in his past life, a bit of a heady feeling.
"Heh, I guess I'm just an ordinary person after all."
"Huh?"
"Boss, are my eyes playing tricks on me, or did I just see someone jump off the supply ship?" Upon returning to the naval port, Gary, a bit dazed and eyes wandering, pointed to a transport ship in the distance, shouting.
The sailors turned to look in the direction he pointed.
Indeed, there was a supply ship that had just arrived at port when they left. Perhaps because nighttime operations were not very safe, it was parked there without unloading cargo.
A figure, carrying a black cloth bundle, was stealthily sliding down the rope tied from the transport ship to the dock bollard. Maybe because it was late, there were few people moving around on the dock, and the patrolling guards did not notice him at all.
"It's a thief!"
"Go! Let's catch him together!"
One unidentified voice, perhaps slurring words, shouted out among the group, and seven or eight people spontaneously surged forward in unison.
The sneaky figure, startled by the sudden rush of people, no longer cared about concealment, leaped off the rope and ran away.
"Stop!"
"Thief, stop...."
Ignoring the sailors' shouting, the figure, agile and fast, quickly slipped to the perimeter of the port area, diving into the tangled maze of connected houses. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared into the twisting and turning alleys.
"What a strange guy!"
Aiven, who had already activated his Data Visualization, had seen part of the shadow's attributes, and the agility attribute shone clearly at 0.76, proving this guy was also a seasoned apprentice-level Extraordinary.
It's intriguing how such an Apprentice Knight not only sneaked onto the supply ship to steal things but chose to flee instead of fighting when faced with a group of ordinary sailors chasing him.
Because for Aiven himself, he was fully confident to handle these drunk sailors before the patrol arrived, then leaving casually.
Whoosh—
Now wasn't the time to ponder the thief's motives, Aiven likewise accelerated instantly, charging forward. The low walls and houses in the neighborhood were no obstacles for him.
The chase reached its latter stage.
Most of the sailors, who are strong but essentially ordinary people, have gradually fallen behind. Gary, who had drunk a bit too much, was already not a speed-type fighter, and soon lost his way in the alley.
Finally, the only one who could keep up with the "thief" was Aiven.
Perhaps realizing that only Aiven was left following, the shadow also slowly stopped. As it passed a small stone bridge, it nimbly jumped down, landing on the riverbed dried up during the dry season.
Plop—
"Are the Navy's benefits that good now? Worth you chasing me across half the city, young Captain?"
When Aiven followed and jumped off the bridge, he found the shadow standing calmly with no consciousness of being a thief.
At this moment, Aiven had a chance to see this fellow's front.
Clad in a long black cloak, wearing a wide-brimmed black hat, eyes covered with a black mask, a Swift Sword at the waist, he very much resembles the legendary heroic thief "Zorro."
"If Mr. Thief can understand my hardship, that would be wonderful. Please return the goods; it's late, and everyone could go home, wash up, and sleep. Wouldn't that be great?"
Aiven didn't think this shadowy figure was his opponent and spoke casually. Seeing that they didn't harm ordinary sailors despite their skill, letting them go would be possible if the stolen goods were returned.
"Hahaha, interesting! When did the Navy produce someone as interesting as you?" Unexpectedly hearing such words from Aiven, "Zorro" paused for a moment, then revealed a smile of amusement.
"You want it? That's simple! Although this item is useless to me, it is very precious to some.
If you can defeat me, I'll give it to you, and you can handle it however you like. How about it?"
As soon as the words were spoken, a package was thrown to the ground, and the Swift Sword at the waist was unsheathed like lightning, flying towards Aiven.
The black cloak soared, resembling a massive bat swooping through the night, with swift and fierce moves, obviously displaying exceptional swordsmanship!
Through consecutive battles, Aiven grounded his physical qualities to the utmost, only a Magic Potion away from confidently advancing to Official Knight.
Before this advancement, encountering a seasoned Apprentice Knight with a focus on agility, Aiven didn't mind having a little fun.
Facing the swooping "Zorro," Aiven's waist flashed with a cold light; the exquisite Hand Half-Sword was already in hand.
For an ordinary person, the disparity between a Hand Half-Sword and a Swift Sword is vast, whether in weight, purpose, or suitable swordsmanship. The Hand Half-Sword is sturdy and often used on the battlefield, while the Swift Sword is lightweight and seen in duels and skills.
But in the hands of those almost half-step non-human entities, the type of longsword has little impact on the expression of swordsmanship.
The sword light turned into a streak of silver lightning, as Aiven boldly confronted.
Swoosh—
Swoosh—
The scene seemed to integrate into the night breeze, both nearly dissolving into shadows while chasing and dueling under the bridge.
In an instant, the fight reached a fever pitch, yet amidst the intense battle, their swords mysteriously never clashed, like a waltz dancefloor duet, showing an incredible synchronicity.
[Secret Technique: Round Step!]
[Sword Style: Floating Boat!]
In the next moment, both simultaneously unleashed secret techniques from their swordsmanship, attacking and defending swiftly, with onlookers only able to see two shadows—their footwork too quick to follow, transforming into a pure white sword light.
The high-intensity sword duel endured for a minute, as Aiven roughly figured out "Zorro"'s tactics, breaking the stalemate instantly.
"Ding—!"
Aiven took a half-step forward, placing himself in peril beneath the opponent's sword, using his strong sword body to block Zorro's weak sword body, twisting his sword and thrusting!
A hundred years ago, Sword Saint Dener invented a new swordsmanship concept, where swordsmen no longer separate attack and defense into moves but combine them in one sword style, countering the opponent's attack while receiving it—granting a deadly move.
This concept was absorbed into "White Sail Swordsmanship."
"Slash—!"
As the rabbit jumps and partridge falls, seeing the figures separated again, Aiven stood composed, while "Zorro" directly turned and accelerated, quickly vanishing into the darkness.
"I remember you! The item is yours; I'll seek further instruction next time..."
A call of forced composure echoed distantly in Aiven's ear, who shrugged and disregarded it entirely.
How was this different from the villain's cliché line, "I'll be back!"?
Sheathing his sword, Aiven picked up the package "Zorro" discarded earlier. Having retrieved the stolen "goods," Aiven lost all interest in pursuing.
Not only because at first, they were "lenient" towards Navy sailors, but also because after the duel, Aiven realized that this fellow surprisingly wielded an exceptionally proficient "Rose Swordsmanship."
Ahem, "Rose Swordsmanship" may not sound impressive, but in Phaletis Kingdom, it bears a more renowned name—the Famous... Court Fencing!