WeTried Translations

Translator: Hydrogen B

Editor: Hydrogen B

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Chapter 106: Where the Storm Calls (6)

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The enormous island and the large city built upon it were a sight to behold.

Kyle understood why Captain Jorde, whose whereabouts were now unknown, had said this port in the Corsa Archipelago rivaled Cadis.

The city itself was simply huge. Its coastal docks were no different.

Unlike the forest on the opposite side of the island where Kyle and Elysia had washed ashore, the area around the island city stretched across broad plains. It had a peaceful yet lively atmosphere.

The docked ships especially drew the eye. They came in all sorts of shapes, from ordinary fishing boats to sleek fast ships that looked made for plundering. If there was one difference from Cadis, it was that smaller vessels built for mobility greatly outnumbered large merchant sailing ships.

Their sails were the same.

All black.

"This is ridiculous... Are all those ships pirate ships?"

Elysia muttered as she looked at the sails of a ship that seemed to have just docked.

She had been shocked once by the fact that a city of that size stood on such a large island, then again by the number of ships that appeared to be pirate vessels.

"Not all of them. There are a few ordinary sailing ships too."

"But they are a minority. It does not look like they farm much either."

"Plundering is probably their main livelihood. The tolls from the strait alone must bring in more than the tax revenue of most small countries. They make money with fast ships, then use sailing ships to bring in goods they need from the mainland."

As Elysia said, the island was large, but not large enough for extensive farming. It looked as though they handled basic self-sufficiency and imported everything else they needed from the Federation or the southern part of Velia.

"Judging by the number of pirate ships, they have more naval power than most countries."

Kyle watched the city's docks from the forested hill for a while, then clicked his tongue softly.

The archipelago had many islands. The island with the Skaldir Family's main castle was likely the largest, but there had to be several others comparable in size. For now, it was impossible to estimate how much naval power they would have when all of them were combined.

Perhaps it was no exaggeration to say they had no rivals at sea.

At a glance, it looked like some European tourist destination he had seen in photographs. The reality was nothing like that.

As Kyle narrowed his eyes and reviewed his plans, Elysia, who had been carefully scanning the docks, let out a sigh.

"They are not here..."

"What is not here?"

"The pirate ships we encountered before we fell onto the island. The trade ship was half destroyed, so that is one thing, but at least one pirate ship should have returned. Yet I cannot see any of them."

Kyle looked over the ships at the docks again, one by one.

They were too far away to identify anything beyond their general shapes, even with his eyesight enhanced by mana. Most of the fast ships used for plundering looked similar as well.

"Do you remember the appearance of all three pirate ships from then?"

"To some extent. But I do not see them. Did they really all die...?"

Elysia muttered in a subdued voice.

Kyle offered what comfort he could.

"Do not be certain yet. There are possibilities."

"What do you mean?"

"It may have been two days, not one. They might have folded their sails and started repairs during that time. That would make them harder to recognize. Considering the hunger and thirst we felt when we first woke up on the shore, it probably has not been three days, though."

Elysia might have been mistaken, considering the distance. There could also be a smaller dock or pier elsewhere, rather than only the harbor in front of the city.

Or perhaps the ship had been badly damaged.

There were many possibilities.

After gathering her thoughts somewhat, Elysia asked, "Are we going into the city now?"

"We should. Our goal of finding a ship has not changed."

"Will we be able to find passage?"

"If there are no seats, we can make some. Or we can buy a ship outright."

They had more than enough money.

Finding a ship capable of crossing the strait, along with experienced sailors, would not be a problem. At least not financially.

"I do not see any passenger ships..."

"There are pirate ships instead. Leaving quietly without causing trouble would be best, but there is no reason to avoid them blindly."

Kyle said it calmly.

Elysia looked toward the docks with worried eyes, but Kyle did not pay it much mind.

The best outcome was leaving quietly for the Federation.

The next best...

Kyle's gaze shifted from the city to the castle on the hill beside it. The two cutlasses, the Skaldir Family's crest, still fluttered fiercely atop the castle's high spire in the sea wind.

After watching the flag for a moment, Kyle moved his feet.

There was no more hesitation in his steps.

"Let us go down before the sun sets completely."

* * *

From the forested hill to the coastal city that connected to the broad plains, Kyle and Elysia moved quickly.

The late afternoon sun had tilted lower, covering the world in a deep orange glow. Kyle checked his pocket watch and increased his pace. Elysia followed close behind.

The city grew larger with every step.

When he turned his gaze slightly, he could see the sea dyed by the sunset and the line of ships rocking across its surface. It was beautiful enough to draw a sigh of admiration.

It did not last long.

Once they entered the city, the scenery changed greatly. Buildings blocked the sea ahead, and the city's distinct bustle washed over them all at once.

The inside looked somewhat different from an ordinary inland city.

There were almost no wooden buildings. Most were made of brick. There were few carriages on the streets as well. The occasional carriage that passed them was always coming up from the coastal docks toward the inner city.

"So people live here too."

Elysia spoke as they hurried down the main street. Her golden eyes, visible beneath her deeply lowered hood, looked around with interest as if she had never been worried.

"It is not only pirates."

"Not everyone living in a city this large could make a living through plundering."

"Still, the atmosphere is different. How should I put it? It feels different from the Sarmaren people in Cadis."

"It feels strange somehow. Alien."

Elysia added that, and Kyle felt the same odd sense of discomfort from the city.

The subtle stares directed at them.

They were everywhere even now. They were not blatant, yet they were not particularly discreet either. Kyle immediately understood why.

Unlike the local residents who blended into the surroundings, Kyle and Elysia clearly stood apart.

Kyle wore a black cloak and had a bastard sword, the sort seen only inland, at his waist. Elysia, walking beside him, wore a white robe that anyone would associate with the nobles of Velia.

Their manner of walking was the same.

Unlike the bold, rough islanders, Kyle and Elysia moved down the street with calm, measured steps.

The people here had something that was hard to define, unlike those of a simple port city like Cadis. The more closed-off atmosphere made Kyle frown without realizing it.

There might be a violent confrontation.

"Here?"

Kyle stopped as they moved through the city.

Elysia did not look at him. She stared at the building before them and asked, "What is this place?"

"A tavern. It looks like it also serves as an inn."

"A tavern? Were we not heading to the docks?"

Elysia whispered quietly enough that only Kyle could hear. She had noticed the stares being directed at them, and at some point, her voice had grown softer.

"In another port city, we would have. But not here."

"Why?"

"It seems more closed-off than I expected. Many of the docked ships were fishing boats or fast ships used to collect tolls. There are sailing ships too, but they are neither large nor numerous. That means they only bring in the goods they need from the mainland, not goods for trade. There are barely any inns either, so there must not be many outsiders."

If they went straight to the docks and asked about passage, they would not get a good answer. There were no merchant ships to begin with, so there would likely be no ordinary sailors either.

Kyle did not want to draw suspicion from people who might be pirates.

"This place will not be much different, but..."

Kyle muttered to himself, glanced back one last time, then entered the tavern.

Elysia followed a beat later.

The hinges, seemingly rusted by the sea wind, let out a creak.

The inside was larger than it looked from outside.

And cozy.

People ate food and tipped back cups of alcohol at the many tables. Not one of them looked like an inland person.

"Close the door. It is noisy."

Someone near the entrance said that.

Kyle slowly shut the open door. Once the noise outside disappeared, the inn filled with lively conversation again.

"Kyle..."

"Shh."

Elysia called to him in a very quiet voice.

Kyle did not turn around. He gave her the same silent signal to stay quiet.

After scanning the room in an instant, Kyle moved toward the bar with Elysia. Their cautious footsteps vanished beneath the sound of people's conversation.

A burly man who looked like the bartender was mixing drinks behind the bar. Kyle stopped in front of him.

"What will you have?"

"Something decent to drink, not alcohol. If you have food that will fill us up, bring that too."

Kyle took out a Gold Coin from inside his coat and placed it on the bar.

The bartender's eyebrow twitched at the shining gold.

Only for a moment.

"Sit over there. In front of me."

The bartender jerked his chin toward the empty seats beside them.

Kyle and Elysia exchanged a look, then sat down. The bartender gestured toward the kitchen. After pouring the drink he had been mixing and serving it, he turned back to Kyle.

"Never seen your faces before... You come from outside?"

The bartender picked up the Gold Coin on the table and took out new cups, glancing at Kyle and Elysia from the corner of his eye.

By outside, he likely meant Velia, not the Corsa Archipelago.

"That is right."

Kyle readily admitted it.

"I thought so."

"Is it that obvious?"

"Just by your appearance. And that Gold Coin you gave me is one used in the southern part of Velia, is it not?"

Kyle nodded.

The Empire, the southern part of Velia, and the Federation all spoke the same language, but used different currencies. Hylen in the north, which no longer existed, had been the same.

"I did not see many inland people."

Kyle glanced behind him.

Everyone drinking and eating in the tavern looked like a local islander. There was no one from inland like them. The exclusionary stares he had felt while walking down the street earlier were the same.

"It depends on the season, but there are few. Especially during the autumn storm season."

"The storm has nearly died down now."

Kyle answered casually.

Enrico, the Merchant Head of the Black Crow Merchant Company, had said that if he moved the schedule forward, he could launch a passenger ship in a week.

They had sailed for four days after leaving Cadis. Assuming it took another day or two before they washed up on this island, it roughly matched the time when the storm should have begun to weaken.

"That is why I am asking. Are there any ships headed toward the Federation?"

"Ships?"

The bartender placed two cups filled with yellow drinks before Kyle and Elysia.

Elysia stared at the yellow liquid, then slowly wrapped her hand around the cup. The cold sensation of the glass against her skin washed over her.

Cold.

Elysia tilted the cup slightly. Ice floated on top of the drink.

Without a word, she looked at Kyle beside her.

Kyle, his hood pulled low like hers, lightly nodded at the bartender's question.

"I am getting tired of wandering around."

"Huh..."

"I think it is time to leave. Is it possible?"

If they left tomorrow or the day after, they could cross the strait after the storm had calmed considerably. There was nothing wrong with that explanation.

The bartender rubbed his chin, narrowed his eyes, and answered.

"Come to think of it, a sailing ship came from Cadis about ten days ago. Did you get off that one?"

Kyle was about to answer immediately, but stopped.

The bartender was staring at him.

Is this a test?

More than half the ships in the harbor were fast ships. There were not many ordinary sailing ships. The Black Crow Merchant Company's trade ship had sunk, so he had no idea whether a sailing ship from Cadis would be among them.

He had too little information.

There was no other choice anyway. He had to go along with it.

"That is right."

"Then you could have gone back on that ship. Why are you looking for separate passage?"

"I changed my mind after staying here. I have seen everything worth seeing, and now I want to head toward the Federation. I also want to depart as soon as possible."

"Depart..."

"If possible, one that leaves tomorrow or the day after. Do you know of one?"

"Well. It is true that the storms calm around this time, but if you want to go to the Federation or the southern part of Velia, you will have to wait at least another week."

"I have enough money. I do not mind paying extra. If necessary, I can even buy a ship."

Kyle took out another Gold Coin and placed it on the table.

It was a Gold Coin mainly used in the southern part of Velia.

One Gold Coin for drinks and food. Another Gold Coin for information.

The bartender took the coin in hand, examined it from several angles, and let out a hollow laugh.

"It is not even a fake Gold Coin, yet you are quite generous."

"I do not lack funds."

"Right. A wealthy outsider. But..."

The bartender slowly put down the Gold Coin.

"Every ship that entered port in the past two weeks was a fast ship. There was no sailing ship that came in ten days ago. Who the hell are you?"

The bartender's eyes changed in that instant.

Everyone in the tavern rose from their seats at once.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The sound of swords being drawn rang out one after another.

Clear metal rang from all sides.

More than a dozen cutlasses gleamed orange beneath the deep sunset pouring through the windows.

The once noisy tavern had gone silent.

With only the sound of breathing clearly audible, Elysia turned to Kyle with wide eyes.

Kyle rose from his seat and stared directly at the bartender before him.

A cold silver blade flashed into Kyle's hand and stopped at the bartender's throat before anyone saw him draw it.

Footnotes:

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