Chapter 152: The Might of Captain Jake.
Inside one of the luxurious private rooms, Vivian sat elegantly on a carved wooden chair.
Across from her was two people from the Rosen Merchant Guild.
At the center sat a middle-aged man who clearly held the highest position among them.
He looked to be in his early forties, with a tall and well-maintained build.
His features were refined and handsome in a mature way, with sharp eyes and a calm, confident expression that suggested years of experience in negotiation and business.
His dark hair was neatly combed back, and he wore an expensive dark coat with subtle gold embroidery along the collar, marking his status without being overly flashy.
Standing slightly behind him was a female secretary.
She appeared to be in her late twenties, wearing a fitted formal outfit and a pair of thin-framed glasses.
Her long black hair was tied into a neat low ponytail, and her posture was straight and professional.
She held a small notebook in one hand, her expression calm and attentive as she stood quietly behind her superior.
The atmosphere in the room was polite, but there was a clear undercurrent of business tension.
Vivian rested one hand lightly on the armrest of her chair, her gaze steady as she looked at the middle-aged man across from her.
But then the middle-aged man from the Rosen Merchant Guild reached into his coat and took out a finely crafted pocket watch.
The gold casing caught the light as he casually flipped it open and glanced at the time.
A faint crease formed between his brows.
He closed the watch with a soft click and looked up at Vivian, his tone polite but carrying a clear impatience.
"Vivian... how long do you intend to make us wait?"
At the impatient tone, Vivian’s lips curved into a calm, elegant smile.
"There’s no need to be so impatient, Sir James," she replied smoothly. "I already sent someone to call them. They should be arriving shortly."
She rested her chin lightly against the back of her hand, her gaze steady as she looked at the middle-aged man across from her.
"I’m sure a few minutes of waiting is worth the stake I’m putting in."
Hearing that, Sir James closed his pocket watch and slipped it back into his coat.
A faint smile appeared on his face as he leaned back slightly in his chair.
"Of course. If the offer is as promising as you claim... then a little waiting is nothing."
Sir James looked at Vivian for a moment, then let out a quiet sigh.
"But I never thought that little girl from back then would already grow big enough to sit across the table and negotiate with me..." he said, his tone carrying a mix of nostalgia and mild amusement.
"How time flies. Oh, and how is that brother of yours?"
Vivian’s expression softened just slightly as she answered.
"He’s still the same as always," she said calmly.
"And he’s become quite a busy man with his strength, so he rarely stays in one place for long."
Sir James gave a small chuckle and nodded.
"Haha, and I never expected that crybaby to possess an Advanced Class. Ahh~ It seems like the younger generation is getting stronger and stronger with each passing year."
He took a brief sip from the tea that had been prepared earlier.
"Still, it’s good to hear he’s well. The last time I saw him was... what, four years ago? During that shipment dispute near the eastern coast."
"Five," Vivian corrected lightly.
"And if I remember correctly, he was the one who settled that dispute before it turned ugly."
Sir James smiled faintly at the memory.
"True enough. Your brother unexpectedly had a sharp way of reading and handling people. Looks like some of that sharpness rubbed off on you as well."
The atmosphere in the luxurious room eased a little as the two continued exchanging light, pleasant conversation.
But then Sir James set his teacup down and looked at Vivian more seriously this time.
The faint amusement from before was gone, replaced by a sharper, more focused gaze.
"...And there’s something else I need to confirm from you personally," he said in a lower tone.
"Is it really true that a Deep Aberration beast has been sighted in the Dead Sea Line?"
Vivian let out a quiet sigh and gave a small nod.
"Yes... it’s true."
She leaned back slightly in her chair, her expression turning more serious.
"We encountered one in the Dead Sea Line during our last voyage. If we hadn’t been lucky... I might not be sitting here right now."
Her fingers lightly tapped against the armrest as she continued.
"We didn’t have any Attribute Stones on board at the time. Without them, we had almost no way to properly weaken the thing. And to be honest, I thought I was going to be a goner at that time."
Sir James’s brows furrowed slightly as he listened.
The female secretary behind him quickly wrote something down in her notebook, her expression also growing more serious.
Vivian smiled as she continued in a calm tone.
"But it was a good thing we had someone with a Light skill on board. Without that... we wouldn’t have been able to kill the thing."
She glanced briefly toward the door, as if already thinking of the person who had made the difference.
"Even then, it wasn’t clean. The fight left us with more than a few losses. But in the end, we managed to put it down."
Sir James’s eyes widened slightly with clear interest.
"...A Light skill?" he repeated, leaning forward just a little.
That’s rare... extremely rare, in fact.
Most people who claim to possess light-based abilities only have diluted versions or borrowed techniques.
A genuine Light skill capable of killing a Deep Aberration... that isn’t something you hear every day.
He tapped a finger lightly against the table, his gaze full of interest.
"Who exactly is this person?"
Just as Vivian was about to answer—
Bang!
The door to the luxurious private room slammed open.
Jake strode in first, one hand already gripping the hilt of his sword as he raised it slightly, sharp eyes sweeping the room for threats.
Right beside him, Grace followed close, posture tense and gun drawn, the barrel tracking carefully across every corner as she scanned for danger.
"Madam Vivian!" Jake shouted, voice full of urgency. "I heard you were in urgent trouble!"
Without missing a beat, he unsheathed and waved his sword and declared,
"Show me that bastard and I’ll show him the might of Captain Jake!!"