Airship
Rumiel, who had handled the clam once again, walked leisurely along the beach.
The clear sea breeze blew gently, caressing her.
In her hand, she held a perfectly ripe coconut.
She stuck a bamboo straw in it and slowly brought it to her mouth.
Slurp.
The sweet taste spread in her mouth.
The cool, soft coconut aroma pleasantly enveloped the tip of her tongue.
"..."
Rumiel nodded contentedly.
However.
Right then.
Flash!
An instant spatial distortion.
The familiar sensation enveloped Rumiel's body.
And, as expected.
"Kyaaah!!"
The familiar scream.
The familiar shock sound.
Rumiel quietly closed her eyes and opened them again.
Then, slowly turned her gaze.
On the beach, Sia was sprawled out again.
And behind him,
[Lv.20 Angry Giant Clam]
Once again, the monster was angrily closing its shell.
"..."
Rumiel quietly sipped the coconut juice.
Slurp.
Again the same pattern.
Again the same scene.
Once again, she quietly approached, reached out her hand,
Quietly took out the blue stone,
And quietly placed it on Sia's palm.
Sia was sweating profusely again, looking at the stone.
"Th-this is why again..."
However, Rumiel turned her gaze away and walked on.
"..."
And, not even five minutes later.
Near the beach, Rumiel quietly settled under a palm tree.
In a peaceful atmosphere, she held the coconut drink and slowly took a sip.
Slurp.
The sea breeze blew gently.
At that moment.
Flash!
"Kyaaah!!"
Rumiel set the coconut juice down.
Then slowly turned her head.
On the beach, Sia was sprawled out again.
And behind him,
[Lv.20 Angry Giant Clam]
"..."
Rumiel sighed and picked up the coconut again.
And quietly took a sip.
Slurp.
"..."
Again, this time not even three minutes had passed.
After walking for a while past the beach, Rumiel settled in the middle of the wide beach.
In her hand, she held a king snail skewer.
The sweet aroma from the well-cooked snail.
Quietly turning the skewer, she half-closed her eyes and swallowed.
It looks delicious.
Just as she was about to bite into it slowly.
Flash!
"Kyaaah!!"
Rumiel stopped the hand that was about to put the skewer in her mouth.
Then slowly lifted her head.
On the beach, there was the silly Sia,
[Lv.20 Angry Giant Clam]
"..."
The clam.
Rumiel picked up the coconut again.
Slurp.
No matter where, no matter when,
Whether walking on the beach,
Drinking coconut,
Turning the skewer,
Whatever she was doing,
Sia always returned,
Always got teleported,
Always chased by the clam monster.
And,
Always silently approaching quietly,
Quietly giving the stone,
Quietly leaving the way back, Rumiel.
"..."
The two stared at each other in silence.
Sia was sweating more and more, clutching the stone tightly.
Rumiel quietly sipped the coconut juice and stared at Sia quietly.
As expected, the same pattern again.
Chased by the giant clam monster, sprawled on the beach, receiving the blue stone again, sweating profusely, Sia.
Now, it was too familiar, so she wasn't surprised anymore.
Rumiel quietly sighed, picked up the skewer. From the browned king snail skewer, a subtle aroma spread.
Rumiel held the skewer, pondered for a moment, then finally opened her mouth.
"What level are you?"
A quiet question.
Sia flinched and stuttered.
"T-t-that..."
"..."
How many?
Short, firm voice.
Sia hesitated for a moment, then opened his mouth.
"..."
5.
Rumiel quietly sighed.
I knew this would happen.
"..."
If the level is low, you shouldn't come to a place like this.
Rumiel's voice was calm, but there was a subtle scolding feel.
Sia stared at the ground, biting his lip.
Rumiel touched her chin as if lost in thought, then quietly rummaged through her inventory.
Then took out a small scroll and handed it to Sia.
Sia carefully received the scroll and unfolded it.
[Beginner Hunting Ground Guide]
This is a map item made using a writable parchment item.
It was also personally made by Rumiel, painstakingly for newbies.
The map details the appropriate hunting grounds from Lv.1 to 10 in detail.
Rumiel pointed to a point with her finger.
"This should be enough."
Sia quietly looked at the map.
It was a clean map with even detailed information.
Sia murmured in a small voice.
"..."
Thank you.
Rumiel nodded lightly.
Then, as if there was nothing more to do, she started walking towards the beach.
The sea was still beautiful.
Waves gently pushed in, and the sunlight sparkled on the water.
Palm leaves swayed gently, and the feet walking on the beach made a crunching sound.
A good day to leave.
Rumiel quietly organized her thoughts.
The remaining villages were the thief village or the archer village.
But she didn't feel like going there.
Then, probably time to cross the continent.
Through the early continent, to the central continent where the main story begins.
There, it had a completely different atmosphere from the existing villages.
It was a place where civilization had clearly developed, but due to the Demon King's invasion, development was delayed and it was in an ambiguous state.
As a result, it was a place where natural and artificial structures were harmoniously blended in a unique landscape.
There was a magic school, and robots existed.
But because it didn't develop into a complete technological society, it was a strange continent where machinery, magic, and nature were mixed in an awkward way.
The feeling of extinct civilization and nature coexisting was strong, so it was a place worth seeing.
Rumiel quietly sipped the coconut juice and was lost in thought.
"Um..."
To go to the central continent, she would have to take a flying ship, that is, an 'airship', or use the teleportation stone she used last time.
Rumiel quietly finished the coconut juice, placed the palm fruit she was holding on the ground.
The soft sea breeze blew, fluttering her hair.
It was time to leave.
If she used the teleportation stone, she could go to the central continent in an instant, but even though she had decided to have a 'adventure' this time, it wasn't good to eat it like that.
Rumiel slowly moved her feet.
The destination was a place made of giant tree logs.
The Ojakgyo she had gone to last time.
The upper part of the enormous Ojakgyo stretching high into the sky and connecting to the clouds was a place where countless branches intertwined to form a bridge.
On it, the wind blew, large moss grew along the path, and occasionally glowing mushrooms grew between the tree trunks emitting a faint light.
And, it was also the place where the flying ship that connects the central continent and the early continent docks.
¤
Rumiel slowly looked around.
Since giving the parchment to Sia, there had been no reaction from the Summon Stone.
It was fortunate.
It meant that Sia was properly hunting in the right place.
Or, he might just be holed up in the inn and not coming out.
Rumiel recalled Sia's appearance and looked around.
A quiet atmosphere.
And, the airship visible ahead.
A giant ship cutting through the sky.
The basic structure was made of large trees and metal, and a magical veil instead of sails enveloped the ship with a faint blue light.
At the bottom of the ship, huge propellers were attached to maintain the floating state in the air, and thanks to that, a gentle breeze flowed continuously around the ship.
Rumiel quietly took a deep breath.
Now, by taking this, she could go to the central continent.
She turned her head slightly, and near there, several adventurers were bustling about.
On the deck, with merchants carrying luggage, novice adventurers looking at the ship with excited expressions were seen.
Some crew members were checking the status of the airship and looking around.
Rumiel slowly approached the ticket sales area.
She stopped in front of the crew member selling tickets and said quietly.
"Give me one boarding pass."
A small voice, but the crew member immediately looked up at Rumiel.
He hesitated for a moment, then smiled gently and said.
"The airship boarding pass to the central continent is 5,000 gold."
Nodding, a small piece of paper was handed to her.
[Central Continent - F04 Seat]
The paper had the airship's route and seat number simply written, and a faint glowing magic circle was engraved as if synchronized with the ship's magical veil.
Rumiel quietly held the boarding pass, heading straight to the ship.
With light footsteps, she climbed the deck, crossed the pier's railing, and entered the ship.
The inside of the ship was much wider than expected.
Even though it was a flying ship, the structure was not much different from a regular passenger ship.
The wind blew refreshingly.
Rumiel quietly settled in a seat on one side of the deck.
Then naturally leaned back and looked around.
Gentle breeze.
Quiet air.
In a peaceful atmosphere, Rumiel slowly closed her eyes.
"..."
After closing her eyes for a moment, she felt a drowsy feeling.
And, very naturally,
She fell asleep.
In the dream, the scene of Rumiel adventuring with Sia here and there was reflected.
The quiet wind gently fluttered Rumiel's hair.
Above such Rumiel's head, the blue sky spread out.
Gentle breeze.
Warm sunlight.
And,
The skull flag was fluttering...
"F04 seat customer? Uh, you're not here. Didn't you board the ship..."