Ball of Nothing

Chapter 606: Selecting A Crew

Truen and Zero learned a lot from Ottley about managing a crew even if they didn't think the information was particularly useful. They were more interested in knowing how to sail a ship to get to where they wanted to go. The only crew they needed was already assembled.

For a whole week, Ottley made them participate in menial tasks on the pretext of preparing for an actual voyage. Zero and Truen were no longer allowed into the shipyard now that the actual construction of the Marrissa was in progress. However, they were still allowed to help secure food and building supplies during their break.

The gnomes from Half Moon Village were also finally here, and Zero introduced them to the Sea Hand brothers. As expected, the gnomes hit it off right away with the sea otter shipwrights. Truen and Zero didn't have to do much. They spent most of their time with Ottley, who brought them out to sea with a small crew to observe sea patterns and the sky.

"The moon plays a huge role in the sea patterns," he told them. "You should try to memorise the lunar cycle to plot a strategic voyage."

Several copies of the updated world map were brought up. Truen and Zero both received a copy each. Today, they were going to be cartographers. Ottley assigned them homework to plot three effective voyage plans using the routes Docky proposed to locate Indra Seagloo. They had to take into consideration the logistics arrangement and lunar cycle while they plotted the course.

"Note that not all waters have been explored, and even if they have been recorded, things can change at any notice. Make backup plans in case of sea monster attacks, unpredictable weather and piracy attacks."

Zero took a look at the map and raised a brow. "What is this 'no magic' zone?"

Ottley grinned. "It's the reason why we've been training you to avoid using magic to handle situations. This is a special zone that we encountered once on our voyage. It is a mana-rejecting zone. Many adventurers who took on sea monster-slaying quests meet their watery graves here. It's a very famous high-risk zone that the guilds have classified as restricted access. Not even A-ranked adventurers can take this quest unless they meet the basic qualifications."

Curious, Zero wanted to know what the qualifications were. Truen studied the map he was given. The sea chart was marked with many strange numbers that he couldn't understand.

Ottley tried to recall what he knew, but it was a long time since he escorted adventurers on sea quests.

"I cannot recall all the requirements. However, there is a requirement for hiring a qualified crew and having the ability to take down an AA-ranked monster single-handedly without magic for anyone interested in taking sea monster-slaying quests. It's also why only a handful of adventurers took on these quests."

Zero thought about the crew he had as Ottley explained about the members the adventurer needed to hire.

"The captain has the final say during the expedition, and it was a condition that adventurers must agree to. The first mate is there to take charge of the ship in case the captain is indisposed. There must also be a ship doctor, a navigator, a cook and three sea hands to control the sails for a small vessel."

Zero tried to picture the crew he had in mind. Mii could be the navigator. He could be the captain, which automatically made Truen the first mate. At the same time, Lily managed his mindscape pharmacy, so they had a doctor. They didn't need cooks because Zoe constantly refilled their inventory with food. The giants from Magnus Hilda were also very diligent in their food offering to the Freya temple. Wii could create many clones, so they had no need for sea hands. Bob was Bob and Zero had no complaints about the crew he had.

Ottley observed his students' reactions and sighed. His master told him to subtly hint at finding a crew to the Chosen One. Ever since the village was blessed by Minerva with the Weatherman ability, Docky wanted to know if Zero and Truen had any intentions to form a crew for their voyage in the Marrissa.

"How fast does a ship travel in a day?" Zero asked.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Ottley explained that different vessels travelled at different speeds. The speed of a ship was also dependent on the wind they received.

"However, for the dead zone, there is no wind. It is why the Marrissa is designed not to rely on wind power alone. We're combining it with gnome technology to maximise the power of the Kraken core."

"How fast can the Marrissa travel relying solely on the power of the Kraken core?" Truen asked. They had to calculate the travelling speed based on the worst-case scenario.

At that, Ottley smirked. "We don't know yet. However, I assume that depending on the output settings, it can go as fast as the strongest wind."

The vague answer gave Zero a headache. Plotting a sea route sounded like a lot of Math involved. He had to calculate the distance travelled in a day and the number of days to match the lunar calendar just so that they wouldn't run out of supplies for the 'crew'. This sort of problem would never happen for them!

Truen sensed Zero's distress and patted his shoulder. Math has always been Zero's weakness, and Ottley's answer didn't help. If Truen was honest, this lesson was utterly useless for them. Zero's inventory space didn't run on magic. It could be operated from even the void, so logistic arrangements are not important to them. The only thing they had to plan for was the lunar cycle to avoid unfavourable weather conditions.

Seeing Zero stress over the assignment, Ottley left them alone. It wasn't easy delaying time for a week when these two students absorbed everything like a thirsty sponge. Docky wasn't complete with his preparations, and Ottley wondered how much more he could delay his students' progress. They learned how to read clouds, identify stars, plan for logistics and memorised the lunar cycle all in under two days. There wasn't much left for him to teach apart from charting and planning.

With a heavy sigh, Ottley went to find his teacher to report the situation.