Chapter 138. World's Crown
Wooong—
The shrill cry of the ship's horn pierced through the air. However, it did nothing to distract Anna's focus as her attention was fixated on the peculiar island sprawled before her.
A colossal mushroom the size of a towering mountain sat in the center of the island. Its massive canopy shimmered with a faint blue glow that was a stark contrast to the surrounding darkness.
Anna leaned forward; half her figure was beyond the railings as she stared at the mushroom. "Such a spectacular sight. If only I had a phone; I would have been able to take a great selfie."
Just as she mused in her own thoughts, a commotion roused from beneath her. She glanced downward to see that people from the lower decks had already begun disembarking.
Anna turned around to face her entourage and said, "Prepare our belongings. We are disembarking as well."
The line of above average-looking women, numbering more than ten, stood at attention. They echoed in unison. "As you command, Mistress!"
Not many guests on the ship disembarked at World's Crown; there were only those from the lower decks and Anna.
In contrast to the bustling and vibrant port at the Coral Archipelago, the harbor area in World's Crown seemed rather still and unsettling. There weren't many dockworkers in sight as well.
Anna's numerous, large chests of belongings were enough to occupy all the available dockworkers.
"Be careful with those! What’s inside those chests are expensive items! You won't even be able to pay the damages even if you sell yourself off as a slave!" Anna's maidservant, Martha, warned the dockworkers in a stern tone.
"Rest assured, our esteemed customer. It's rare for us to get work. We're more anxious about the task than you," a man responded genuinely. Cloth masks obscured the faces of the workers, and they handed the cargo with extra care.
As the crowd on the ship slowly entered the harbor area, a sporadic bout of coughing fits erupted. Initially, it was a few isolated cases, but soon enough, a chorus of coughing sounds echoed incessantly among hundreds.
Within the crowd, a young boy clutched the hem of his mother's sleeve and cried, "Mommy, my throat is itchy... It’s really itchy."
Just then, a few merchants with their hands full of thick gauze and masks sprinted into the crowd. Their voices overlapped as they eagerly hawked their wares.
"Face masks at 35 Echo each! Masks at 40 Echo each! Buy now if you need one! Inhaling too much of the spores in World’s Crown is detrimental to your health!"
"Indeed! There's a saying in the World's Crown that you can leave your house without wearing any clothes, but a mask is an absolute necessity!"
The poor passengers from the lower decks lacked the means to buy any form of protection. A few parents bought masks for their children, but most people just pulled out clothes from their baggage and covered their mouths and noses with the cloth.
A merchant approached Anna with a mask in his hands. Flashing a bright smile, he persuaded, "Ma'am, the veil you have is a little too thin. Why don't you try mine? It consists of three layers of spider silk sourced from Spider Islands. It's guaranteed to filter away at least 90% of the spores."
Anna gracefully removed the veil that obscured her visage. Her stunning beauty was revealed in full bloom, stunning the merchant into a momentary silence.
Closing her eyes, she inhaled a deep breath, and the corners of her lips rose into a smile. "Mmm... Such a sweet scent. I'm starting to fall in love with this place."
"Sweet? How would it be sweet?" Confused, the merchant lifted his face mask and took a deep breath of the same air. Instantly, he erupted into a sneezing fit, and after it finally subsided, he hastily adjusted his face mask back into place.
Walking beyond the docks, they arrived at the harbor district. The houses looked dilapidated, with mushrooms sprouting above the roofs and wall corners. There were only a handful of people on the streets; it was a stark contrast to the crowded population on other islands.
The appearances of the islanders on World's Crown were no different from those in other places. The only thing that stood out was that every person had a face mask or mask that covered their noses and mouths.
Just as the poor from the lower decks seemed rather lost and unsure as they stood motionless on the streets, a middle-aged man clad in a blue uniform approached the crowd. His entourage of more than ten men trailed behind him.
Lifting the brass megaphone in his hand to his lips, the pot-bellied man's voice boomed through the tool, "I know that many of you might have heard of the marvels of the World's Crown on other islands. Indeed, the flyers are true.
”As long as you are willing to work, Governor Tucker will loan you the tools and seeds for cultivation. When the ryegrass is ripe for harvest, half will go toward tax, and the rest is all yours!"
Excited chatter erupted among the crowd, and many eagerly surged toward the middle-aged man to claim their plot of land.
"Don't push! Line up, one after another."
Standing next to Anna, one of the maidservants held a gauze over her nose and mouth.
"Mistress, I thought they were just paying lip service, but they are actually giving out land? There are actually such nice people in the world?" the maidservant remarked in awe.
Anna shook her head elegantly and replied, "Naive girl, such generosity doesn't exist. Look over there."
The maidservant's gaze traced along Anna's delicate finger that was pointing at the land beyond the harbor distract. Neat rows of fields stretched out, and masked farmers were hunched over as they toiled among the crops with an oil lamp in hand. The sight resembled fireflies twinkling within a dark forest.
"Wow, the ryegrass grows so tall here! The yield must be great," the maidservant commented.
"The fertile soil is due to that mushroom called the Crown. But its existence is a blessing and a curse at the same time. The Crown's spores can enrich the soil, but at the same time, they are deadly to humans," Anna said as she walked on the road leading to the fields.
"The longer the humans stay here, the deeper the spores will settle in their lungs. Once their lungs cease to function, then that's the end of their lives. The bountiful ryegrass is nourished by the blood of these islanders..." Anna paused. She chuckled softly before saying, "As a Diois, I merely enjoy my food, but when it comes to exploiting and preying on one's species, humans outdo us every single time."
Cough! Cough!
A series of hacking coughs interrupted their conversation. An old man by the street crouched over in an intense coughing fit. He pulled down his mask and desperately tried to gulp down some fresh air. Unfortunately, the spores in the air infiltrated his lungs and worsened his cough.
Seeing the man's face turned red from suffocation, a hint of terror appeared on the maidservant's face.
"Do you regret following me to this place now?" Anna asked.
Hearing her words, her head maidservant, Martha, hurried forward and shook her head with a determined look on her face.
"Mistress, I've been by your side since I was young. My life is dedicated to serving you. Wherever you go, Martha will follow! Even if you wish to consume me, I'm willing to offer myself!"
The corners of Anna's lips curved upward into a faint smile. Reaching out a hand, she caressed Martha's silky, long hair. Her gaze was akin to an owner looking at a cherished pet.
"Why would I ever want to eat you? You have been with me for so many years that you are almost like family to me."
Martha looked visibly moved by Anna's words and replied with a bow, "Rest assured, Mistress. I'll serve you with all my heart until the day my lungs give in to the spores in this place."
Anna helped Martha up, and they continued on the path leading toward the fields.
"Don't worry. It’s difficult to find someone like you. I won't let you die from these spores. There's a place on World's Crown that's unaffected by the tortuous spores. And that is our final destination."
With that, Anna tilted her chin slightly upward at the zenith point of the Crown's cap. Intermittent lights flickered in the distance.
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