Passerby Villain In A Wizard World

Once Ron and Torren were gone, Varn's demeanor shifted 180 degrees. Without explaining much, he barked out orders before swiftly climbing down the ladder he had come from.

He didn't even look back or offer any explanation—just vanished below deck as if he didn't care whether they followed him or not.

What could be said? He wasn't exactly rude, but he certainly wasn't welcoming either.

"Damn! Who are you calling brats?"

"Why is he so rude?"

Sure enough, his attitude irked the youngsters, who were full of hope for their upcoming journey and wizarding path.

However, since the person meant to guide them was already out of sight, everyone had to follow to keep up, as they indeed needed his help at the moment.

"Hey, Ian, did you see their necks and skin?"

Among the crowd were Ian, Lyra, and Aurora, while Henry followed behind with Carl, whom he had already spotted after teleporting. He seemed quite talkative when it came to Carl but never acted the same with Ian. Maybe it was because Ian was already with Lyra, or maybe it was for some other reason.

Anyway, when Ian heard Lyra's curious question, he nodded.

"Yeah, I saw it too. So, don't think they're normal humans without powers like Wizards. If I am right, they might be the product of a Wizard's research and might be quite powerful at sea," Ian answered as if he were guessing, though he was basically certain.@@novelbin@@

In the novel, it was said that Torren was as powerful as a peak Third-Class Wizard Apprentice, and that Varn might be slightly below him in strength. More importantly, all of them had one or more abilities that were very useful in the sea areas. That's why they were operating this ship in the first place.

"Yeah, I saw a mana ring on that captain's finger. From the way they look, they might be related to the sea race, right?" Lyra guessed while climbing down the stairs. Aurora, on the other hand, walked silently beside Ian, as she wasn't a Wizard Apprentice like the others and didn't want to stand out.

"Yeah, might be. Who knows? Don't care about them. In the end, they're just workers on this ship anyway," Ian said dismissively, focusing instead on the next part he had read in the Arcane Passage.

"You brats are quite slow, huh? Didn't I say to hurry up?"

But before Ian could recall anything, he heard a stern and displeased voice from the front, halting his thoughts. It seemed after passing that narrow stairs, they had arrived at an open corridor or outer walkway, where it was possible to see the sea and the surrounding scenery more freely than on the top.

And the person who was displeased by their lacklustre style, Varn, stood at the front alongside a few others—likely his crew members—all dressed in rustic clothes, their faces reflecting equal discontent.

Ian noticed that all of them had subtle modifications on their bodies, just like Varn and Torren, though smaller and less noticeable at first glance.

"Heh... they're the chosen ones, so of course, they'll take their sweet time. It's not like they're in a hurry," one of the short but fat guy on the right snarled in displeasure.

"They don't know what the real world is like, just busy dreaming I guess."

"And we were chosen to take these brats out of this continent. What bad luck."

"Tch… Boss, just get this over with. Why did you call us here anyway?"

"I don't want to live in this barren place anymore."

The short guy's words seemed to ignite the mood of the other crew members, causing them to complain endlessly. From their expressions, they clearly didn't have a good impression of these so-called qualified ones.

"Okay, okay. The captain has already spoken. We're leaving tonight. Can you guys be a little patient for god's sake? My ears are already calloused from hearing your complaints all these years."

Varn scratched his right ear with his finger as if annoyed by their constant rambling, ignoring the displeased look on the crowd's faces.

"Alright, since everyone is so impatient, let me explain everything swiftly." He waved his hand to stop his crew members from continuing, then looked at the crowd and continued.

"This ship is a magical artifact and has three layers: bottom, middle, and top. As you saw before, the top is where the captain and Sir Wizard reside. It's strictly forbidden to go there unless you're called for," he warned with a serious look.

"So, you lot are going to live in the middle layer throughout this one-month-long journey. Although the ship might look small, it has everything you need: rooms, food, water, and, most importantly, protection. Food will be provided by this guy twice a day."

Varn pointed at the short, fat guy, who snorted in displeasure.

"Just make sure to come to the dining hall on time. It's right at that corner."

"Of course, if you want, you're free to prepare your own food. Just don't go outside hunting in the sea once we set sail. I won't care if you disappear inexplicably."

Varn spread his hands as if he didn't care.

"Anyway, all you have to do is stay where you should and don't wander around. Remember, there will be no stops during this journey. Be prepared, do meditation, or whatever you want in your free time. Just don't disturb me or my crew. Got it?"

He asked loudly at the end, expecting a response, but got none, making him look a bit awkward. He had rambled so much for the sake of the captain's order, but what he got in return was the bored look of the crowd.

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"What about the bottom layer? What's there? You didn't talk about it," Carl finally asked, breaking the awkward silence with curiosity, making the crew look even more irritated.

"Heh, the bottom layer is where we live. It's also where supplies are stored, and many things are done to operate this ship. It doesn't just run on its own, you know."

Although Varn was also displeased by their lack of response, he still answered. Then, as if he remembered something, he added with a sly grin,

"If you guys want, you can visit the bottom layer. Just don't blame me if something happens or if you get traumatized. You're on your own in that case. I'm too busy to ca—"

"What?"

"Eww!"

"What is that?"

"Is that even human?"

Varn was just about to finish his lecture when the crowd's astonished voices stopped him abruptly.