Chapter 48 – Flaming Rose

“Different Magic Elements are inherently contradictory. Even if they coexist peacefully, it is only temporary. They are irreconcilable and cannot merge. When they accumulate for too long, they collide, stirring up storms until they dissipate.”

— Volume III of Chronicles of Time

Earlier, unaware of the approaching Seasonal Tide, the group had not felt anything unusual. But now, the three Mages could sense the oppressive atmosphere surrounding them.

If it were merely a storm, the Mages wouldn’t have been concerned. The Magic Wheel would have been enough to ensure their safe arrival at Siren Island without even a hint of turbulence.

However, the Seasonal Tide—it was no ordinary storm.

Ships from the mainland only sailed along the edges of the continent during the Seasonal Tide. Venturing further out risked being swallowed by the sea.

The Seasonal Tide was a relentless storm lasting ten to twenty days, but it was also an Elemental Storm—during the Seasonal Tide, even Giant Dragons couldn’t fly in the sky!

Every time the Seasonal Tide arrived, the most vivid memory for the Mages was the sight of two Giant Dragons, which usually soared in the sky, descending to rest on the open ground and lake in front of the Central Castle. Huge shadows of magical beasts floated on the sea, forming a reliable barrier that kept the raging storm and towering waves at bay. In their leisure time, they often approached the edge of the barrier. Outside, lightning tore through the sky, thunder roared, and the world seemed on the verge of being consumed. Inside, however, it was peaceful and serene.

But now, no one could afford to relax—they were in the middle of the vast sea, without a barrier or a protective shield. Moving forward would mean facing even more chaotic storms, while turning back would involve a long and uncertain journey to safety.

“We can’t fly… we’ll be torn to shreds! Daniel—where should we go?”

Daniel unrolled a scroll: “We’re already near the Mermaid’s territory. Without the storm, we could return to the academy in half a day—but getting back to the mainland would take a full day.”

In other words, they were in an awkward position.

The Seasonal Tide’s range was vast, only calming as it neared the coast, where it became an ordinary storm. From the Mermaid Sea, the distance to the coast and to Siren Island was nearly the same.

“We’ll move forward,” Daniel said, fully unrolling the scroll and chanting a spell. The ship’s defensive Magic Array glowed with a soft light, and the Magic Wheel’s turbulence lessened. He looked at the others on the deck: “Do you all agree?”

Everyone nodded silently.

Moving forward and retreating were equally dangerous, but retreating was pointless.

Daniel grinned: “May the Goddess of Fate bless us—this ship is as sturdy as it was a thousand years ago.”

Ah Lan summoned a pale green wind element, enhancing the Magic Wheel with wind magic, speeding it up significantly as it sailed toward Siren Island.

Meanwhile, on the endless sea, another fleet was still sailing.

The flagship, surrounded by escort ships, was tall, sturdy, and ornate, its hull adorned with a large, flamboyant emblem of a golden-red Flaming Rose.

“Lost our course?” In the main cabin, a man with deep red straight hair looked down at the ship’s captain, who was pale with fear. “The Tidis and Berlinar families each have a fleet that patrols the Eastern Sea Region year-round—have we contacted them?”

“We’ve sent out a distress signal,” the captain wiped the sweat from his forehead, “but we’ve received no response.”

The young man beside the red-haired man spoke up: “Your Highness, I believe the Tidis family is ignoring our distress signal! Why don’t we seek help from the Imperial Navy? Aside from the ships you’ve brought, the Third Legion should still have troops stationed in the Eastern Sea Region…”

“Sars, have you forgotten? The Imperial Navy is practically the Tidis family’s private army,” Gregory interrupted coldly. “Now it seems even the fleet we brought from the Third Legion—is compromised.”

The captain below was drenched in sweat: “Your Highness, my loyalty to you…”

“Loyalty?” Gregory narrowed his already slender eyes, exuding an air of danger. “Captain, you’ve served in the Imperial Third Legion for at least twenty years in the Eastern Sea Region—and now you’re telling me the entire fleet has lost its course?”

“Our compasses have all failed, and the stars haven’t risen yet—this has never happened in previous sailing seasons. Even the most experienced helmsman can’t determine our direction…” the captain explained.

“So, we just need to wait until nightfall to ensure we can find our way again?”

The captain felt the pressure of Gregory’s gaze lessen and sighed in relief: “Yes, Your Highness. Once we can see the stars, our course will become accurate again.”

Gregory nodded coldly: “Then you’re barely not incompetent, my dear captain—this is already the fourth day of our voyage in the Eastern Sea Region. According to you, we’re nearing the farthest point the navy fleet can sail, close to the unreachable Siren Ocean, and must turn back… I don’t want to spend the next few days aimlessly wandering the sea without even catching a glimpse of the so-called pirates.”

“I will do my utmost to serve you,” the captain replied respectfully.

The situation in the Imperial Capital was growing increasingly tense, something the Emperor was well aware of. His ministers and nobles were choosing sides, drawing lines in the sand, and tensions were high. Except for a few small, neutral families, everyone had chosen their master—tragically, all eyes were on the two young princes, and the focus in the council chamber had completely shifted. For a time, the aging Emperor was nearly forgotten by everyone.

This was very unfavorable for the old Emperor—he still had several years to live and many things to do. Yet, he hadn’t clearly thought through the succession, nor had he cleaned up the Imperial Capital’s situation for his successor. The situation was already slipping out of his control.

At this time, news came from the Eastern Sea Region: the Tidis family’s fleet had discovered that the pirates, who had been suppressed, were showing signs of a large-scale resurgence.

Upon hearing this, the old Emperor felt no concern—this was an excellent piece of news! He immediately ordered his eldest son, Gregory, to go and suppress the pirates, with the Imperial Navy assisting. The pirates would surely be no match for the well-equipped Imperial Navy. This move would not only keep his eldest son out of danger but also temporarily remove him from the Imperial Capital, allowing the current situation to cool down.

Thus, this scene at sea unfolded.

The captain finally escaped from the difficult-to-deal-with Prince Gregory. He walked out of the Royal Ship’s main cabin, which was adorned with luxurious animal hides, brightly lit, and warmed by a constantly burning fireplace, and stepped onto the deck.

The sea breeze on the deck hit him directly, the coldness on his sweaty forehead making him shiver.

This middle-aged man, who had served in the Imperial Navy for over twenty years and considered himself knowledgeable about the sea, felt the oppressive, damp, and irritating atmosphere on the deck. He gazed at the not-yet-dark sky, where the sun had sunk into thick gray clouds, leaving only a blood-red line casting eerie light on the deep blue sea at dusk.

“This can’t be…” the captain slapped his forehead and looked again, his face instantly turning pale. He started muttering to himself, then almost screamed.

“The storm season, the storm season is coming, it shouldn’t be now! No… all crew—close the watertight compartments, fill the ballast tanks, all escort ships lower your sails! Flagship—cut the mast!”

The well-trained crew quickly suppressed their panic, rushing to various parts of the ship to prepare for the storm—closing the watertight compartments to prevent sinking, filling the ballast tanks and lowering the sails to avoid capsizing, and directly cutting the mast of the flagship’s grand, complex sails to prevent the ship from being overwhelmed by the storm before the sails could be fully lowered!

The captain no longer had time to report to Prince Gregory. He ran to the helmsman’s cabin to personally take control of the ship’s course.

At the edge of the Mermaid Sea in the Eastern Sea Region, as both the Magic Wheel and the Royal Fleet faced imminent crisis, the situation in the west was also far from peaceful.

The Unicorn let out a mournful cry and was immediately recalled by Lin Wei—had Duan Yu not caught him in time, the Young Duke would have fallen face-first onto the ground.

“A magical plant,” Lin Wei said without blinking, staring at the hard ground. “Watch your step!”

A faint magical fluctuation passed beneath their feet, and Duan Yu immediately leaped into the air with Lin Wei—in this environment where Magic Elements were sparse, relying solely on the Mage’s accumulated Magic Elements only allowed them to jump, not fly.

Black soil erupted as massive black spikes emerged from the ground—similar to a summoning spell Lin Wei had once used, but far more sturdy and powerful than the thorns he had summoned.

“The Bestiary doesn’t record this—it’s a dual-element creature of metal and fire!”

Gungnir slashed through the air, cutting the black spikes cleanly, but more spikes continued to emerge endlessly.

As Lin Wei used his soul power to search for the creature’s main body, a loud sound came from above—the spikes weren’t entirely rooted in the ground. A large cluster of black spikes, gleaming coldly, hovered in the air before plunging down like spikes, colliding violently with Duan Yu’s defensive barrier, creating a series of crashing sounds.

Jerald, without needing instructions, formed a rock shield, adding another layer of defense.

The two had set out from the Withered Wood Swamp and had been traveling for over a day when they encountered their first magical creature—and it resembled a plant. Well, a magical plant that could send part of itself into the sky.