Boditch Kingdom, Dan Port,
The sea breeze carrying a hint of salt whipped through the docks, a bustling scene unfolding before the eyes.
Gigantic dark brown wooden stakes were deeply embedded in the sea, topped with planks that formed a vast maritime dock, extending the coastline well over a hundred meters into the ocean.
The waves, stippled with whitecaps, gently slapped against the stakes. The wooden dock was reinforced with simple spells, making these platforms solid and durable enough to withstand the erosion of waves and storms.
It was now morning, the busiest time for Dan Port.
Many workers in brown tunics moved back and forth incessantly, drenched in sweat as they unloaded goods from incoming ships to the warehouses on the docks. At the same time, they loaded Boditch Kingdom's diverse products onto merchant ships, destined for far-off lands.
At the moment, a medium-sized merchant ship was slowly approaching the dock, nudging closer to its berth under the directions of the dock's traffic controller.
Numerous porters, having rested for a short while, gathered around in hopes of employment.
These porters were locals, earning their pay by exerting a bit of labor.
Even though every merchant ship arriving at Dan Port had a number of its own sailors, the task of loading and unloading always belonged to these dockworkers.
Even if the sailors on the ships personally handled the cargo, the required porter fees could not be omitted.
This was the "rule" set by the controlling nobles and officials of Dan Port!
Though most of the pay ended up in the pockets of those nobles, the remaining bits were fiercely competed over by the impoverished dockworkers.
While waiting, the dockworkers struck up conversations with each other.
"Have you heard there's a war going on in the west?"
"That's old news, nothing fresh about it."
"Haha, I heard that Feis Kingdom's nearly reached the Royal Capital, Luminous Stone City, you know?"
"For real? Those nobles are so useless, a bunch of good-for-nothings!"
"Hey, keep it down! We all know those nobles and officials have been useless for not just a day or two, a despicable bunch of vampires, they all deserve to die."
"If that's the case, I think it would be better to let Feis Kingdom's folks kill all those nobles, eh?"
"And what makes you so sure the nobles of Feis Kingdom would be any better?"
"Could they be worse?"
As the merchant ship entered the harbor, the chattering dockworkers surged forward, eager to earn an extra copper coin.
"Mr. Lis, I am very grateful for your help."
While his subordinates were arranging the loading of the cargo, Captain Loren followed Lis, smiling as he said:
"Sure, it was a pleasure."
Lis had already packed up his belongings, ready to disembark.
Especially the equipment from the small laboratory, all of it needed to be put away in the Space Ring.
Helen and Basel followed behind Lis, with Helen looking somewhat nostalgically at the distant harbor and the somewhat familiar architectural style, her mood a bit subdued.
"Then I won't see you off any further, Mr. Lis. I hope we have the chance to meet again in the future."
Loren bowed slightly toward Lis.
Lis didn't have much to say either, leading Helen and Basel towards the town in the distance.
Watching Lis's retreating figure, Captain Loren shook his head with a tinge of regret and turned to walk towards the Mermaid.
If only he could have convinced Lis to stay on board the ship for good.
Alas, Loren knew that was unrealistic.
Watching the sailors from the Mermaid in twos and threes heading towards Dan Port, intending to dispel the boredom of a long stay at sea,
"Sigh~ I guess I'll go stroll around with Navin."
Loren shook his head with a sway, finding this trip to Dan Port much more thrilling and treacherous than the last.
Having made it to Dan Port after much effort, he too wished to unwind.
Lis, leading Helen and Basel, found a decent inn in Dan Port to stay in.
"Basel, take Helen for a stroll around town, will you? You both have worked hard recently."
Lis wanted to give Helen a chance to relax, as he had seen her tireless training and didn't want her to push herself too hard.
"No, thank you, Master,"
Helen said, shaking her head seriously.
"I am from the Boditch Kingdom, there's nothing new here for me."
"I want to seize the time to continue my training."
Upon hearing this, Basel's face showed a hint of bitterness.
He had been looking forward to some leisurely time; although he was still young, not like the old hand Charles, he had seen enough to be eager for some excitement.
What was more, his wealth hadn't been confiscated by Lis, so he was relatively affluent.
But if Helen was set on continuing to hone her physique, naturally he couldn't leave her side.
Sigh~ To let such good times go to waste.
Basel felt a twinge of regret, but seeing Helen's earnest determination, he couldn't bring himself to say anything.
He'd had his moments too, immersed in the thrill of wielding extraordinary power, with every other allure paling in comparison.
So even if reluctantly, Basel didn't object.
Lis glanced at Helen, then nodded without objection.
Whatever decision Helen made, Lis would not oppose it.
Just as he had prepared for rebirth, becoming so passionate about arcane mysteries, engrossed in the sensation of wielding transcendent power.
Like Helen, like Taya, characters of import within their own stories, they naturally have steadfast convictions about their future.