Chapter 125
Chapter 125
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 125
Chapter Title: Galliante Island (2)
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Tess struggled to hold back a laugh at the sight of the two boys, who had suddenly fallen silent. After being surrounded by tough, sturdy classmates at the sword academy, the magic academy students felt like younger siblings, even though they were the same age.
“But you're incredible too, Amy. When did you learn Schema?”
“I trained for about two years before I got into the magic academy.”
“Wow, it's rare for someone to learn Schema so young. Isn't it said to be bad for your growth?”
“It's not like I did any particular exercises. It just… kind of happened.”
Tess understood just from those words. While many prodigies could emerge from the Spirit Zone, a mental realm, Schema was a method that pushed the body to its limits, making it difficult to learn at such a young age.
But with the self-image memory of the Red Eyes, she could probably control her body with precision without having to go through grueling training.
“Oh, so that's how you can use the Red Eyes. That's brilliant.”
“It's nothing that special. I don't have a build, and it only strengthens my muscles a little. It's child's play compared to you. You were so fast earlier. If you had really started to accelerate, the gap between us would have grown too wide for me to even cast Teleport.”
“Come on, it's my specialty, but you're a mage. Besides, Rian still can't even use Schema. I guess there's a reason the Carmis family is so famous.”
Shirone turned to look at Rian in surprise.
“Rian, you haven't learned Schema? Then what was that when you chopped firewood at my house? You didn't say anything, so I just assumed you were using it.”
“Hahaha! Rian did that? To borrow Master Kuan's words, it must have been his 'brute strength.' You know what he was like at the sword academy? During the final exam…”
“Hey, seriously! Why are you so nosy about my private life?”
Rian hastily cut her off. He wouldn't mind if it was someone else, but he absolutely did not want Shirone to know.
But thanks to him, the mood lightened, and the others began to share stories about their own school lives. Even though their fields were different, they were all students, so the conversation flowed endlessly.
And so, they were getting to know each other.
* * *
Upon arriving at Creas Port, Shirone and his companions looked for a boat heading to Galliante Island.
A large galleass moored at Dock 6 was unfurling its sails, seemingly ready for departure.
Since all the schools in the kingdom had started their holidays around the same time, there were more tourists than usual. Swept up in the crowd, Shirone boarded the ship and found a spot on the third deck.
Although passenger cabins were available on the lower levels, it was his first time on a ship, so watching the scenery as they sailed was an enjoyable experience.
Waves crashed against the hull, and a salty breeze blew past them. It was only after the port dipped below the horizon that the group truly felt they were out at sea.
“How long do you think it'll take?”
“I heard it's a five-hour ride from Creas Port.”
“I see. If we'd been a little later, we might have had to wait until tomorrow to leave. There are more people going to the island than I expected.”
Just as Shirone had said, countless people were milling about on the deck. About half were merchants, but there were also tourists dressed like nobles. Moreover, a fair number of people seemed to be from places other than Creas.
“It must be a famous island, just like Rian said. I wonder what it's like.”
“I did some research.”
As if on cue, Amy pulled out a notebook. Tess, who was now close with everyone, spoke to her casually.
“Oh? You're so thorough.”
“Right? I didn't even think to look it up.”
Shirone scratched his head sheepishly, and Amy glared at him, displeased.
“You're going to explore ruins, and you didn't do any research beforehand?”
“Haha! No, it's just…”
There are two kinds of travelers in the world: those who set off on a whim, and those who plan everything meticulously.
The former seeks the romance of the unknown, while the latter values efficiency. Amy belonged to the latter group.
But Shirone couldn't be classified as either. It was the first trip of his life, so everything was simply new and fascinating.
“Okay, I'll tell you about Galliante Island. Its area is 1,500 square kilometers. It's shaped like a half-moon, and the northern side is a natural fortress of cliffs, so ships have to circle around to the southern port. The west side is a mix of residential areas and resorts, and the Kergo Ruins are on the eastern side of the island. The ruins are said to be the temple of the Kergo people, who established a civilization two thousand years ago.”
“The Kergo people?”
“Yep. Their civilization is gone now, but a small number of natives still live in an autonomous district in the island's center. They have dark skin and tend to be short, with deep-set eyes and small pupils. Oh, and they supposedly have tattoos on their faces that praise Ankera.”
“What's Ankera?”
“The name of an ancient god the Kergo people worshiped. And, um… the natives chew a hard tree root called 'rupe', which apparently causes hallucinations. That's why they call it 'God's Awakening'. They used it to commune with their god in a trance-like state. The reason for their civilization's collapse is said to be religious conflict, but there's also a theory that internal strife broke out because they overused rupe.”
“I see. That's fascinating. To think a hallucinogen could destroy a civilization.”
“Probably because they abused it in the name of their god. Oh, right. My brother told me that most of the caretakers at the ruins are Kergo, so we'll be able to see them. However, the native autonomous zone is off-limits to outsiders, so we won't be able to go in. Ah, but my brother…”
“Hm? What did your brother say?”
Shirone asked, his curiosity piqued. The brother Amy mentioned was likely Ares, the explorer. Having traveled all over the world, it was highly probable that he knew a great deal about the Kergo Ruins.
“My brother said this: 'The fall of a civilization isn't determined by scholars. If you want to understand them, you'll have to offer something more important than an admission fee.'”
Shirone nodded, his expression thoughtful.
“Hmm. Does that mean there's something even more incredible in the autonomous zone than in the ruins?”
“I'm not sure. My brother's always like that. He thinks speaking in riddles makes him sound more profound.”
“Haha! But this is more fun, don't you think? Something more important than an admission fee. What on earth could it be?”
Shirone's heart pounded with excitement. Between what Alpheas and now Ares had said, he could tell the Kergo Ruins were more than just a simple tourist destination.
As Shirone failed to contain his childlike excitement, Rian felt pleased for a different reason. When his lord was filled with such drive, the duty of a guardian knight became all the more crucial. Whatever secrets the ruins held, he was determined to protect Shirone at all costs.
“Shirone, when are you thinking of going? We're not going right after we arrive, are we?”
“Yeah. This is a vacation, after all. We should have some fun first.”
“Then we should find a place to stay first. Let's head to the resort area once we get off at the port. There's a beach on the west coast where we can swim. There are lots of things to see and plenty of famous seafood restaurants, too.”
Eager to see the southern paradise as soon as possible, Tess clenched her fists and trembled with excitement.
“Ughhh, this is going to be so fun!”
They still had more than four hours to go. But the thrill of the journey made time fly by, and at last, the island they had been waiting for came into view.
“Wow! I see it! It's Galliante Island!”
Passengers standing at the ship's bow pointed to the distant island and shouted. Reacting to the commotion, Shirone and his friends rushed to the front of the deck.
The northern cliffs of Galliante Island greeted them. A sheer rock face jutted out, as if a dense sea of trees had been cleaved by a sword.
The passengers shouted in excitement.
“We're finally here! This is amazing!”
“Wow! Look at the color of the water! I can't wait to go for a swim!”
The merchants, however, remained lying on their baggage. They knew that with the port on the south side, they still had to circle the island for another thirty minutes.
Galliante Port.
The port was a sea of people. Merchants disembarking from the ship and island merchants rushing toward it were tangled in a chaotic mess.
The tourists, by comparison, had no choice but to disembark later. Shirone's group also waited for the crowd to thin before they finally set foot on land.
The first thing they felt upon disembarking was the warmth of the southern lands. Creas was already transitioning into early autumn, but Galliante Island was still basking in summer.
Once the merchants had cleared out, the port filled with people in another line of work: touts, trying to lure tourists to their establishments.
“Come on, come on! Step right up to the Dolphin Inn! The cheapest stay on the island for a wonderful vacation! And my wife's cooking is to die for!”
“Want to taste authentic southern seafood? Come to our restaurant! We have carriages waiting to take you there in comfort!”
“Need your bags carried? Strong porters on standby!”
Shirone's group was overwhelmed by the chorus of touts, their heads spinning.
No one had approached them directly yet, but they were certainly drawing attention. For one, they weren't adults, which was a big plus. On top of that, their clothes and weapons were all high-quality, so it was only natural for the touts to eye them greedily.
Of course, not all of them were honest merchants. In an alley across from the docks, a small group that made money through less-than-legal means was scouting for prey.
“Hehehe. Well now, who should we fleece today?”
A boy named Jis scanned the crowd, his eyes glinting. Behind him, two of his friends watched the same scene.
What set them apart from the touts outside was that they didn't own any shops. They were, in essence, back-alley hustlers who made a living with nothing but their sharp tongues.
There's a fundamental difference between mainland delinquents and island delinquents. In a place adrift on the vast ocean, following the world's rules meant you couldn't even get a crumb of bread. That was their life.
Jis, in particular, had a rebellious streak from a young age and had grown up under constant abuse. He'd been beaten up by nobles more than a few times for standing up for his pride.
But now, even those experiences were just useful tools for making money.
“Whoa, it's packed because of the vacation season. Jis, think we can make a real score today?”
“Even so, half of 'em are broke. All flash, no cash. We gotta pick our mark carefully if we wanna succeed.”
Jis carefully sized up the potential customers. But his friends, who had to earn their daily tribute, were getting antsy.
“Jis, hurry up and pick someone. The others are gonna snatch 'em all up.”
“Alright, alright. Just wait.”
Jis scanned the port with a hawk's eye. But before he could take in the whole scene, his gaze locked onto Dock 3.
Four people around his age were talking, and among them, a red-haired girl captivated him.
Her features were so distinct on her small face that even from a distance, he could tell she was beautiful.
“Hey, hey, that's it! Let's go for that group. See them? Two guys, two girls.”
“Really? There's that big guy, too. Plus, he's carrying a sword, isn't he? Let's just pick someone else.”
“You guys are useless. Who am I? I'm the great Jis, ruler of this port! Guys like that are the biggest cowards. Why else would some lunatic carry a sword to a tourist spot?”
“Ugh, this seems risky. Don't tell me, Jis… you're not having another one of your 'love at first sight' episodes, are you? What if he's a mercenary?”
“Hey! Can't you tell just by looking? They're students. Students can't lay a finger on us anyway. We're gonna go in strong, so back me up. And don't you dare bow and scrape just 'cause they're nobles. With kids like that, you gotta intimidate them from the get-go.”
Jis led his two friends out of the alley. On the way to the docks, he worried that another tout might get to them first, but as the girl's face came into sharper focus, even that thought vanished.
‘Whoa, this girl… She's gorgeous…’
Falling for a girl from off-island was a natural part of any island boy's romantic fantasies. But this was the first time he'd ever felt something that went beyond love, something almost sublime.
Jis hastily composed himself and moved in. If he hesitated, another tout would surely snatch them away.