Ronald naturally couldn't refuse an invitation at such a time.

Especially since it was an invitation from an old friend.

Thus, the investigator led the way, and the three of them quickly crossed the sea, flying directly to the position of the central steamship.

During their flight in the air.

The different encounters of the three steamships could be clearly seen.

The ship at the end of the fleet, because Ronald took the initiative to deal with the enemy, combined with the church casters' excellent protection of the hull, suffered no structural damage and remained in the same condition as before the attack.

The ship in the middle of the fleet had the most elite casters of Graid.

These elite personnel stationed there also quickly killed the attacking creatures. So, except for a few injuries to personnel and some minor ship damage that wouldn't seriously affect the journey, the ship and its passengers mostly remained in good condition.

Only the ship at the front of the fleet suffered significant damage.

They not only finished the battle the latest, but also lost two casters during the fight with the sea monster, disappearing directly into the sea.

Additionally, the ship they were on also warped at the bottom. Although the steamship had structures to prevent leaks, maintaining such damage without repair would certainly hinder the planned voyage.

"..."

Ronald remembered the scene firmly in his mind.

Landing on the central ship's deck, he immediately saw a familiar girl busy on the deck with others.

—It was Claudia.

This princess, who was essentially being groomed as Graid's next ruler, was entrusted by Queen Dantrian with many important tasks to hone her problem-solving abilities.

As such, Claudia was the de facto supreme commander of this voyage. Due to noble customs, Her Majesty also assigned an old noble to assist Claudia in her duties.

This was the strategist Patricia had informed Ronald about earlier.

Meanwhile, Claudia quickly approached when she noticed Ronald board the ship.

"Ronald, I saw you dealing with that monster just now."

"My subordinates told me that you were hardly affected there, but I still want to hear from your perspective if there are any specifics on the ship that need attention."

When they were about ten meters apart, Claudia greeted by waving her hand.

After the encounter, the princess immediately led her trusted aides to inspect various positions on the steamship to assess the actual damage.

As for powerful casters like Ronald from other ships, Claudia summoned him to get a comprehensive understanding of the situation.

In such circumstances, Ronald naturally reported truthfully:

"I can handle such sea monsters alone, and the church casters on board are particularly skilled in protecting themselves, so there are no issues on our end."

Ronald briefly described the situation.

At this moment, a representative from the first ship also approached from another direction.

Claudia nodded slightly to Ronald and then immediately turned to inquire about the situation from the other party:

"Mr. Surt, what is the situation on your side?"

When the princess inquired, the caster naturally reported the status:

"The ship is severely damaged, and there are casualties."

"But according to the planned voyage, it is still absolutely possible to reach the shore tomorrow."

"..."

"So serious..."

Faced with this response, so different from Ronald's, Claudia deliberated briefly before decisively issuing orders to the surrounding investigators:

"Ladies and gentlemen, conduct the most thorough inspections in the areas I designated just now. Ensure the proper functioning of the ship and the safety of all passengers!"

After giving these instructions, Claudia turned her gaze back to Surt from the first ship:

"Mr. Surt, let's quickly inspect the first ship."

"This time we can still perform repairs when docked, but next time there may be no such opportunity."

While repeating the importance of hull protection to the caster in front of her.

Claudia also seized this moment to signal Ronald to follow her.

These individuals all possessed the ability to fly.

Without needing assistance, they took off directly from the central steamship, quickly reaching the deck of the first steamship.

The situation was indeed as Surt had described; everywhere on the ship, hurried figures could be seen addressing the problems that had arisen.

But given the recent victory over a giant sea monster,

the casters here wore expressions not of despondency, but rather an exhilaration of triumph.

Detailed inspections continued.

With Surt personally guiding them, Claudia and Ronald examined severely damaged areas throughout the ship. Once confirming these damages wouldn't affect the next day's voyage as Surt said, Claudia finally relaxed about the attack.

As they turned back toward their ship.

Along the way, Claudia couldn't help but ask Ronald a question as she contemplated the uncertain journey ahead:

"Ronald, if we encounter a similar attack again, could you spare time to help other ships through the crisis?"

"..."

This was a very standard probing question.

Claudia was attempting to gauge Ronald's willingness to provide more assistance to the team and his obedience to her orders.

Faced with such probing, Ronald's mind raced.

He immediately analyzed the possible outcomes of various responses.

Whether he truthfully informed or lied to evade, either could potentially cause trouble for himself.

He could only cleverly change the topic!

"Rather than asking for my help, Claudia, I think it's more crucial to address the root of the issue."

When Ronald responded in this way, Claudia indeed showed interest:

"Address the root issue—Ronald, do you have any good ideas?"

Ronald straightforwardly shared his thoughts:

"The three large fish attacking the fleet also showed signs of Magic Fluctuation. I believe it's very likely this attack was triggered by the fleet's overly enthusiastic fishing."

"..."

Ronald's suggestion indeed prompted Claudia to ponder.

The princess lowered her head in thought for a few seconds, then raised her head with a completely different expression than before:

"Ronald, I think you're right."

"Once we return, I'll inform everyone of this, and until we confirm the specifics, we should hold off on any plans to fish these new creatures."