A vast ocean spread in front of our eyes as the ship crushed the waves, cruising through the wild sea.
Many birds that live around the ocean perked on the crow nest, resting from a long journey. We were on a passenger ship sailing toward Tiga Port City. I leaned against the railing with Cecil standing beside me, closing her eyes to feel the sea wind.
At first, I thought securing a ship meant buying a ship from the shipyard and using it to reach our destination ourselves. But Cecil immediately shot me down, saying it would take a lot of time because we needed to recruit a crew to operate the ship.
Then she recommended joining a ferry ship that began to operate again because the problem with monsters had already been solved. It only took 30 Golds for two people, so this became the favorite choice to go to Tiga Port City.
And imagine my surprise when she told me it only took 3 hours to reach the other city. She made an excuse that with monsters gone, the ship didn't need to go through the safe path and could go straight to its destination at full speed.
"It feels good," Cecil muttered on my side, holding her hair to stop it from being blown away by the wind. "Sea is indeed the best. Don't you think so, boy?"
"Well, I don't hate it," I answered as I backed away from the railing, looking at Cecil. "I guessed you liked the sea because of the hidden treasure?"
"Hmm, you could say that. But I like it more due to the freedom that I can feel while cruising on a ship like this." The minotaur girl smiled beautifully, her teeth showing. She spread her arms wide, feeling the wind hitting her entire body.
"Freedom, huh?" I muttered and turned to the vast sea.
The blue spread across the horizon wherever my eyes lay reflected the sunlight from above, akin to a gem that couldn't be obtained. Seagulls flew and quaked in the air, flying away after resting. They continued their journey away from the edge of the world to avoid flying monsters.
Terms treasure and freedom truly fit the sea. The first event had ended, and the north area had turned calmer than before.
Waves crashed against the ship's hull, rocking the entire dock. Only the two of us, some hired mercenaries with bows, and the sailors were running around; the other passengers were in their respective rooms. No one had the guts to be out, as monsters or pirates could attack anytime.
"I guess this is indeed freedom," I said, feeling the wind on my face.
"Yup. It feels great."
Silence descended between us afterward. The Elf mercenaries looked at us with jealous gazes. Heh, suckers. They only had handsome faces and nothing more.
Our journey was peaceful, without any pirates. Low-Leveled monsters showed up once in a while, but those mercenaries managed to kill them easily with their bow filled with jealousy.
We arrived at Tiga Port City after three hours, just as scheduled. The path we took was along the coast, different from the one when I was on Cecil's pirate ship. Thanks to that, there was no chance to see the floating island.
'It's a bit of a shame. Floating islands look beautiful.' I thought as I disembarked from the ship while holding Cecil's hand.
I wore a hood to hide my face as I was too well-known now.
Tiga Port City was one of the trade centers, located right in the middle between six port cities alongside the north sea. Many goods, from fish to clothes, jewelry, and magic items, were sold by merchants from the entire Virtue Kingdom.
That was why it was rowdier than even the Capital City's market. And the fish smell filled the area, making me pinch my nose slightly.
Cecil didn't seem to be bothered by it too much. She was already used to such a smell and walked normally.
As we walked down the path and passed a few stores, she suddenly stopped and looked at me.
"Arthur, can we stop there?"
She pointed at a certain store with the name 'Gon's Tavern' written on the sign above with squid ink. I looked at where she pointed at and said.
"Sure. We are in no hurry."
"Thanks." She smiled at me, "To be honest, I have a friend over there and haven't contacted her for a while. While we are here, I am thinking of greeting her. I know you won't stop me from stopping by, hahaha."
A friend, huh? I wondered what kind of friend Cecil had.
Was she also a pirate? Or was she a thug she knew when pirating?
It wouldn't stop her from having friends. Having a friend was a good thing, and I would even support her if the friend didn't use or betray her.
We entered the tavern and became the center of attention almost immediately. Many burly sailors looked at us, or rather Cecil. A realization flashed in their faces as they recognized her.
"Oh? Who is this?"
A girl with a simple village dress and large tits appeared with a mocking smile. Her face was filled with freckles, and her brown hair was braided into two. She held two mugs filled with ale, slamming it down on the bar counter and smiling toward Cecil.
"I thought you were inside some monster mouth because you didn't show up for a few days, Cecil. And what do I see? You are holding hands with someone?"
"Hah! As if I would end up in a monster's mouth." Cecil scoffed at the girl and gripped my hand tighter. "And yeah. He's my lover. You should find one for yourself, Marny."
The girl, Marny, looked surprised, but she had a smile on her face. She put her hands on the hips and moved her hips slightly, pushing her ass up.
"I need to take care of these guys. I have no time to get a lover." She pointed at the rowdy guys around us. They burst into laughter at the girl's words.
"Hahaha, how about sleeping with me, eh?"
"No, she will sleep with me."
"Shut up, guys! I won't sleep with any of you!" The girl complained loudly, smashing her palm on the table and shutting the rowdy sailors up.
They burst into laughter again after they looked at Marny's angry face.
Sighing in defeat, she turned back to Cecil, "More importantly, I am glad you're okay. Do you want a drink? Pops will return soon. He's also worried about you."
"Nah." Cecil shook her head. "I'd like to, but we are a bit busy. We need to visit Assassin's Den."
"Huh?" Marny's eyes widened in surprise. "Are you crazy?! That place is filled with assassins! Also, it's controlled by a noble! You better stay away from it!"
"Noble?" Cecil raised her voice slightly.
'Noble?' I was also a bit surprised by that.
We looked at each other, and I nodded at the minotaur girl, gesturing for her to ask more about this.
"Who is that noble?" Cecil asked curiously in a low voice.
Marny didn't say anything and looked around for a while. After making sure no one heard it, she pointed over her shoulder with her thumb.
"Let's talk inside."
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