The sea lay calm and windless beneath a blue sky as clear as if it had been freshly washed. Waves washed against the breakwater, while the beach was littered with fish swept ashore by the tsunami.
The stranded fish flapped their tails in a futile struggle. Excited fishermen hurried across the beach with baskets in hand, bending down to gather the bounty the sea had delivered.
A barefoot boy walked across the sand carrying a bamboo fish basket. He bent down and caught a silver fish in his small hands.
The fish thrashed desperately, its scales glittering in the sunlight, but the boy held on tight.
Just as he was about to toss it into his basket, he glanced up at the sea—and froze. The fish slipped from his fingers and fell to the ground.
Far out among the rolling waves, a hazy black figure was running across the surface of the sea while holding a small silver-white yacht overhead.
"Dad, look over there!" the boy called, hoping his well-traveled father would tell him that what he was seeing was a fairy tale come to life.
His father, carrying an enormous basket on his back, tossed in a red-scaled fish before slowly looking up in the direction his son was pointing. All he saw was a towering wave crashing down on something and swallowing it beneath the sea.
"What did you see, son?" he asked absently. His gaze quickly returned to the colorful fish flopping across the sand and the crabs swaggering sideways among them.
Suddenly, a silver-white yacht shot out of the foaming surf like an arrow, bursting through the waves as it raced toward shore.
"What a beautiful yacht!" the boy cried excitedly.
His father looked up again and saw the sleek silver-white yacht charging straight for the beach. Its streamlined design was unlike anything he had ever seen.
"That's one fine yacht!" Envy shone in the father's eyes, but his many years at sea soon told him exactly what was going to happen.
"Too bad whoever's steering it is an idiot."
"Why?" the boy asked in confusion.
"It's heading straight for the beach. The water's getting shallower, so it'll run aground any moment now!" his father pronounced confidently.
The silver-white yacht entered the shallows. Yet instead of running aground as he had predicted, it maintained its speed and continued charging toward the beach.
"It's just momentum. It'll stop any second now," the father insisted, utterly certain of himself.
"But…" The boy stared, slack-jawed. "It's driving across the sand!"
Every fisherman on the shore stood frozen like a scarecrow, staring open-mouthed at the uninvited yacht.
The silver-white yacht sped across the beach without slowing in the slightest, its stern carving a straight trench through the sand.
Then it left the beach behind and kept going.
The father nearly tore his hair out.
"Fine, it can drive on sand—but why can it drive on a flagstone road?! Even a fairy tale wouldn't dare make up something this ridiculous!"
* * *
Aboard the *Riding the Wind, Breaking the Waves*, Barrett, an old hand behind the wheel, put his skills to use and steered the yacht straight onto the streets of the City Alliance.
The members of the Last Defender of the Way Adventurer team had never imagined that the yacht could travel over dry, solid ground. It was practically a carriage that needed no horses!
It was incredible!
The broad streets bustled with pedestrians and carriages. Among them, a sleek silver-white yacht traveled down the road, making a patently hopeless attempt to blend into the traffic.
The yacht floated slightly above the ground, its hull never touching the street, so its speed remained unaffected. If the road had not been so crowded with carriages and pedestrians, Barrett would already have opened up the throttle.
EeDechi gazed out the window at the local sights, then asked with innocent surprise, "Huh? Why's everyone looking at us?"
"I knew this thing was too conspicuous…" Barrett stopped the yacht, and everyone disembarked.
EeDechi stored the yacht inside its little glass bottle. Under the intense stares of the passersby, the group ducked into an alley and wandered through the side streets until they finally escaped the curious gazes.
None of the others—not even Cheeko the cat—knew their way around the City Alliance.
Barrett, however, was different. He was a seasoned traveler. Even after wandering into the streets and alleys of a foreign city, he could pick up on small clues and use them to find the busiest districts. He would never lose his way and end up trapped in some dead end.
The City Alliance truly lived up to its reputation as a city of merchants. Its economy was thriving, and commerce flourished. Shops and street vendors stood everywhere, selling goods from all across the continent.
Barrett led EeDechi, Franco, Cheeko, and Kilua into a prosperous district.
He quickly found a shop selling magical items and bought a map of the City Alliance. After that, they located an upscale inn called the Silver Moon. It was a sprawling three-story stone building with an imposing, high-class appearance, and the group booked rooms there.
After crossing first the desert and then the sea, their long journey had finally brought them to a place where they could stop and rest for a while.
According to the owner of the magic-item shop, the City Alliance never overcharged customers, much less cheated foreigners. Integrity was the foundation of commerce, after all. If merchants could not be trusted, who would come here to do business?
Barrett believed the man had spoken sincerely, but he remained cautious.
An Adventurer could afford to be reckless in battle, but when money changed hands, one had to be especially vigilant. Otherwise, a cunning merchant would take them for every coin they had.
At the Silver Moon Inn, everyone—including Cheeko—enjoyed a comfortable hot bath and washed away the fatigue of their long journey.
Even if EeDechi, Barrett, and Franco were not physically tired, the long journey had left them mentally weary. They needed a chance to relax.
After a simple lunch, EeDechi felt refreshed. She set out once more with Barrett and Franco to search for a way to repair the skyship.
Kilua remained at the inn with Cheeko. The girl kept the adorable cat company while waiting for the three of them to return.
The trio went to an area where carriages gathered. EeDechi used her Innate Talent to examine the drivers' Justice Values, then reported what she saw to Barrett.
She wanted to choose the driver with the highest Justice Value, but Barrett rejected the idea. Instead, he selected one whose Justice Value was fairly high and who also looked quick-witted.
They needed someone sharp if they wanted to gather information.
The three climbed into a comfortable open carriage. The driver eagerly asked, "Where to?"
Barrett considered for a moment before answering, "Take us to the most famous antique shop nearby."
"Oh, I know just the place! You've come to the right man," the driver answered cheerfully, flicked the reins, and guided the carriage toward the heart of the City Alliance.