"He was ok, I think if he got strong in training he would make a fine sailor."

"Yeah, I don't have a problem with it. He was polite. What I won't allow is number 28. I don't want him anywhere near me."

"I sort of felt the same way. What about 3?"

"3 was…? Oh. yeah. She was a rock star. But she said she's never been on a ship before. We would have to start from the beginning there but other than that…"

"So have you all decided?" I ask the main decision making party for the Excalibur Trade Company.

"I think so," Aqua says aligning some papers and sliding them into a folder.

Aqua and Rou were acting as consultants while Karlie was in training. Once she learns what to spot in a prospective crew member she will be left in charge of it completely.

"Yes, then lets head over to the guild and post the results."

~ ~

"Training starts here. It won't be easy. All of you may not have what it takes. But I can see that many of you do! It's easy to spot, it's the glimmer in your eyes, it's the longing for the sea! We will assemble like this daily for the next few weeks. However, it will be at sunrise tomorrow on so I expect to see you all bright and early!"

"""Yes!""" A loud chorus of voices shout.

"We will begin with something rather easy. As you have likely seen, our pier is currently in the middle stages of completion. The mill workmen are truly marvelous. In comparison, you all are still worthless. Do you see the beam before you?"

This was a beam I had borrowed from the mill. It was twenty feet long and at least a couple dozen inches thick.

"""Yes!""" The prospects all shout again glancing at the log.

"How many men do you think carried this here?"

This was a trick question technically. I had carried it with storage.

"It must have been dozens…" The oldest prospect amongst the bunch says looking across the long pine.

"It was six. And you here are twelve. So? Do you think you can lift it?"

They all look between each other, analyzing each other's muscles. They seem doubtful.

"Fret not, You can. And in a weeks time, you will do it with six. A week later three."

I wasn't positive this was the case but I figure it will pump them up so let's go with it.

I hand each man, and the one woman, a hammer, and heavy nail.

"Choose a spot and insert your hand-hold," I instruct without giving any hints.

Each wanders around the log until they find something they like about a certain place and begin hammering. It was as I figured it would be.

"Wait, wait." The girl says noticing everyone's singular actions.

"She's right you are moving too quickly fools." The oldest man says nodding his head at the fools.

Sorry I call it like I see it.

"We need to arrange them so our work is equal across the whole log or this will never work. Here, everyone partner up."

This girl is good. She is indeed a captain. The man, if he can get over his age based ego, will likely work well as a leader as well.

The group follows the girl's instructions and line up along the log before starting to hammer the nails in.

The over lapping sound of hammers hitting nails gave me a headache so I went inside for the time being.

Once the clamor ended I walked back to the yard to see them standing around blankly waiting for instructions.

"Whats the holdup? Lift it."

"Unfortunately we already tried and…" The oldest says.

"What is your name sir?" I ask tired of not having a name for the face.

"Golin, Captain."

"Hmm, I see. What is wrong miss you seem bothered by something."

The girl had been chewing on her lip since I first stepped out the door. She seems upset with the other recruits.

"Pina, Sir. And to be honest I'm not sure why they gave up. I thought we should continue trying but they claimed it was no use. It bothered me."

"I concur. It bothers me too. If you can't do something continue trying until you can."

With my words, the group's faces drop and they quickly line up along the log. They each bend over into a different lifting stance readying themselves to tug. Well, half are waiting half have already begun struggling with all their might.

"We will give it full force on counts of three," Golin says beginning to understand my intention for the training.

This was only half to give them strength, it also gave them agility as well as team work experience. Team work wasn't measurable on my menu but it was still important.

After an hour all of them look utterly exhausted. Lunch should be nearly ready so I will give them a break for now.

They cheer at the announcement of food and eagerly sit down at the picnic tables. This was also a chance to test run the restaurant so it was a good experience for all.

All the recruits sans Golin and Pina chatted together as they ate. Golin was staring at the log seemingly transfixed while Pina was Balancing on a nearby tree stump with a burger in her other hand. She twirls and notices my gaze, she exchanges a nice wave and then takes a large bite from the burger.

"El, can you assist me, I want to show the recruits something," I say in a normal voice despite the fact that I hadn't seen her in the past few hours.

"Sure." She says landing on the ground a few paces ahead of me. I expected she was in a nearby tree. But spotting her is impossible, her camouflage skills are master level.

"Here," I say handing her a nail and hammer. "Hammer this nail in at the end there."

I point to the flat end of the log. The recruits have already noticed the exchange. It would be hard not to notice that type of entrance. And she's an elf, probably the first one they've ever seen.

"Oy is she…"

"No, doubt look at the hair."

"No, look at the ears under the bandana!"

*CRACK*

I glance at the end of the log where El stood and it was split into a 'V' where the nail had been placed.

"Ah, El you ruined the surprise. Here like this." I lightly hammer the nail, limiting my strength so the nail goes in only a few inches. "Here you stand on this end I'll do that end. I don't want you getting a splinter."

El nods sadly at me. Don't let it get you down it's not that big a deal.

"On three?" I ask her. She nods so I begin my count. "One, Two Three…"

The two of us yank on our respective ends and the log shifts to our demand. El places the log on her shoulder while I hold it around my chest. I glance at the recruits to see if the message has been made clear. This child here had just done what you twelve couldn't and prior to that she nearly destroyed the log with a single blow.

I had realized it recently. El's level twelve is abnormally strong. Her stats were significantly higher than they should be. I theorize this has to do with the 'Life force' that was given to her by her comrades? Perhaps doing what they did had more meanings than just saving her dying body. It may have given her the ability to live on the island for as long as she had.

"Oy that's… Well, everyone know's elves are abnormally strong…"

"I've never heard that…"

"No, that's simply not true. Us elves rarely rely on physical strength. And by that logic what of Captain. Look." She says stepping away from the log without it budging.

"Oh, that's…"

"That's Captain for you," Aqua says with a grin.

"Hey! Focus on your training." I say towards her, dropping the log "If you have time to watch our training you must be a spear master by now."

"I'm getting there…" Aqua says with a frown before running off to the other side of the yard where Rou was Practicing with the Flintlock.

"Come to think of it what happened with your spear gun training anyways?"

"Look, look!" She says pointing towards the building.

There, nailed to my trade company building, were four of the chicken like analogs that I had eaten at the Lord's mansion. So they live in tree's, I wouldn't have expected that.

"And how many misses?"

"Zero." She says making a circle with her fingers.

"Oh, good job you are indeed already a master. You are welcome to watch then, but the rest of you! Breaks over let's get back to it!"

"""Yes!""" The group shouts remotivated by the display of skill me and El had shown them.

~ ~

This training isn't just senseless hard work. It actually relates to something I've noticed watching the girls level up over the past few voyages. I suppose it all goes back to the arm wrestling contest between me and Mirna on the second night. It was inconsequential at the time but I noticed she had leveled the next day. Her strength was also prioritized. I attempted it again with another crew member to see if it was a fluke and sure enough I can power level people fairly easily. I just need to force them to exert their maximum strength.

And now that they can lift the log the next level begins.

I say next level but in the past two days, they have leveled quite a few times. At first mostly level 1 they now all sat comfortably around 5. Pina and Golin are 7 while Rou and Aqua have already caught up with El's level 12.

Of course, El left them in the dust and is now 15 but she recently hit a wall. I will think about that later though.

"Are you ready for the next step?"

"Yes!" They all sound with a single voice.

"Good, let's begin."

They each wordlessly take hammer and nail and with a machine-like motion simultaneously swing their collective hammers.

A single sound is emitted with each hit. Now, this is team work. It still took a few swings to secure the nail but they were organized.

They grasp the nails and lift. It comes slowly at first but once they are sure it rises with ease. This is a preventative measure for loose nails. It happens, and it breaks toes.

"This appears too easy for you don't you agree?"

"Yes."

"But I don't yet think six can lift it. And I will hide the fact that I've seen you trying during the lunch break."

A few recruits laugh which was the intention so they don't get scolded. "So then, you all will now prevent the log from leaving this height in the air."

They grimace at the words, quickly understanding what I mean to do. I place my hand on one end of the log and begin walking. Thier feet dig in but it's impossible for them to resist even collectively. I keep walking and they push back while stumbling. They compensate for their partners stumbles though so the log never falls completely to the ground. I walk them down twenty feet and then pause and start on the other side.

By the end of the day, the ground had two long ditches that weren't formed by wagon wheels.

But I must say progress is great. I really think they might be able to lift the logs themselves in a month if I kept this up. But that sound really bothersome so I will get them to my crews current level and then leave. I can't just go around power leveling people to my level, it would ruin everything.

On a side note, all this work has actually leveled me up. Hello, level 50 and my first spendable stat point and skill point since I pushed the Excalibur from the sand.

Should I spend it on the next level of Herculean strength? What, I shouldn't? Why not?

I guess you are right. Well, let's look at the others then I guess.

Well, there are the ones for a 20% gain to each stat but I don't want those either. Something interesting. Something useful.

Oh! Well, that's not useful, but it is indispensable. But I would feel bad getting it, it feels like I'm stealing Aqua's turf.

But really, [Resurrection]. That's a hell of a skill. I feel like not getting it puts up a bad flag, but I still want to look at the other options.

I can unlock knowledge of various magics. Including 'wind'. I can also get something that summons an appropriate animal mount depending on the terrain. Is this what Rou was worried about? Summoned beasts and magic wind?

Really it's hard to get excited about anything after seeing resurrection. I think even if I see something amazing it will look boring comparatively.

Time stop, meh.

Create homunculus, I have enough girls thanks.

Fly, well that's actually pretty dope.

But nonetheless, nothing caught my eye like resurrection. So I confirm it and drop a point into strength just out of habit.

One point would be wasted anywhere else. At least here it turns my 74 (133) to 75 (135).

Oh, really? That's actually fairly useless now that I think about it. Well, it's all useless numbers anyway, at least now I don't have to deal with it for awhile.