Sunlight, dry land, and a warm bed are normally pretty standard things that any normal human being should have. Yet here I was, only able to desperately fantasize about them throughout a horrendous storm that dragged on for days on end.
Actually, saying it dragged on for days on end is inaccurate. Because at midnight on our first day aboard the ship Iskra, heavy winds and rain showed up and lasted until noon the next day. The storm had moved on, toward the south. Normally, it would travel somewhere else, maybe heading inland to somewhere like Zant Port and then dissipating.
But no! It pulled a U-turn, hitting our ship with a 180-degree no-scope half a day later, leaving everyone who was drying their clothes soaking wet all over again! The wind, thunder, and everything else were even stronger than before. Even the ocean surface looked like it wanted to drag us all down to the bottom of the sea.
And you know what's worse? A freaking Giant Serpent decided to attack us in the middle of the storm. We have to fight for our life under the raging weather. At one time, I was under the sea due to the strong wind but luckily was saved by a member of Aqua Road. I swear I thought I would die.
Roxy—the only King-tier Water Mage on board—tried using magic to dispel the storm but ended up getting knocked unconscious by a flying crate to the head. Talking about luck huh? So the whole Aqua Road part and Isolde (the only member of our party who can fight) just had to fight the Serpent, defeat it and take the storm for a whole day before it finally flew off.
I was practically bowing to the heavens because it had returned to normal when old Captain Jack dropped this line with a cheerful laugh.
"Tough luck, but you never run into a storm three times."
Two hours later, we ran into another storm. Thus marking three consecutive days of getting hammered by storms on this highly unstable voyage.
The following day was truly peaceful. But I was probably so traumatized by consecutive days of wind and rain that I started developing PTSD, hearing the sound of rain even when the sky was clear. Isolde and Roxy weren't doing much better; everyone looked paler and more battered than when we fought Atofe. As for Talhand, he was worse than awful; he looked like a dry leaf in a strong gale, ready to pass on at any moment.
Because of that, watching the crew members casually walking around cleaning up, even joking with each other that they had been blessed by the gods, made me really respect them. So I promised myself that from now on, whenever I eat delicious seafood, I'll be even more grateful to these strong folks.
And this scenery right in front of my eyes too—the sunrise after a storm really is the most beautiful, isn't it? Not a single wisp of cloud, the gentle, warm breeze like a hug from a big-boobed woman, warm and full of softness. Dolphins started appearing and dancing on the sea surface as if celebrating a beautiful new day. Occasionally, I even saw a few giant octopus tentacles shoot up from the water to snatch them. If Larry was still awake instead of lying paralyzed next to Isolde, my cat would probably go hunting again; thank goodness.
"Well, it's almost over, huh?"
And today was also our final day; around late afternoon or evening today, we would dock, ending this stormy voyage.
The experience on this sea voyage might have been terrible, but I think at some point in the future, I'll look back on it. By then, my nostalgia for this moment might make the story seem less awful and make me want to get on a ship again to relive the old days. And when that time comes, would the lack of storms make me feel bored? Quite possibly.
Around noon, I started seeing interesting sights: a tree growing out of the water. This was the very first normal, natural tree with that familiar green color I had seen, and I thought I was hallucinating or something. According to the others, that tree must have been growing on a small island. Because the sea level rose due to the tide, the entire island vanished from sight, leaving only a fragile trunk with its weak, thin green leaves, yet resilient amidst the freezing seawater.
When afternoon came, I finally saw land. And just about an hour or two later, before the sunset was extinguished by the night, I set foot in the town of Zant Port, on the Millis Continent.
At first glance, this place looked quite similar to Wind Port in terms of the layout of important locations like the Adventurers' Guild, the Harbor, the Inns... However, it had some very noticeable differences, like the building materials. Unlike most places on the Demon Continent which were built with dirt and stone, here in Zant Port, it seemed all the houses were made of wood—and a premium, highly water-resistant wood at that. Looking further out towards the city outskirts, instead of a stretching desert painted in yellow and red, I now saw an overwhelming sea of green, as if someone accidentally s`pilled a cup of matcha on the landscape painting here.
But hey, it's not like I'm complaining or anything. If you don't believe me, look at me. I'm grinning ear to ear like a madman, he he he. Ya all know why?
BECAUSE HAVING A FOREST MEANS HAVING A TON OF FRESH FOOD HA HA HA HA!
If nothing goes wrong, for the next month as we cross the Great Forest, I'll get to eat all kinds of delicacies that the largest forest in the world has to offer. So many things like Ancient Treant fruit, Wind Deer meat... dayum. Awesome, awesome, awesome!
Vegetables, spices, wild game meat (even if a bit gamey, it has its charm), and all sorts of fresh, delicious fruits too! YES PLEASE!!!
However, Roxy, who was leading our group to find an inn on the crowded street, suddenly stopped. Her voice sounds a bit worrisome.
"This isn't good."
"What's wrong, Master Roxy?" I asked curiously.
Roxy looked toward an inn where dozens of adventurers of all shapes and sizes were gathered around. From the young to the middle-aged, humans, elves, dwarves... they had it all. They all looked very professional with extremely eye-catching gear. What was weirder was that they seemed to be lining up to book rooms. This was the first time I'd seen so many adventurers crowding around an inn like this.
And it wasn't just that spot; several inns nearby seemed to be in a similar situation. Some places already had "No Vacancy" signs out while I was walking here from the port.
This scene looked as if they were gathering for some highly anticipated event. Like lining up to buy tickets for an idol's concert.
"Ah. The thing is, it seems adventurers showing up here in such large numbers can only mean one thing." Roxy sighed, a hint of nostalgia in her words. "Looks like we've arrived right at the start of the rainy season."
"Rainy season?" I raised an eyebrow. "Meaning it's going to rain non-stop here?"
"Yes. It will rain for three months straight in the Great Forest. The rainwater will rise to flooding levels, making it virtually impossible to travel." Roxy explained with a sigh.
"Holy shit! How is that even possible!" I exclaimed.
That's even worse than the Tsuyu season in Japan! Around that time, it rains horrendously hard, and the humidity can jump over 40%, but this place is even more extreme. This damn world really knows how to take weirdness to a whole new level.
"It's because the magic power in the Great Forest is different from other places that it results in this." Roxy continued explaining as we walked; she really gave off the vibe of a teacher, even if she looked exactly like a cute, little middle schooler. Oh wait, she's still a bit taller than me though. "Every year, the magic power there fluctuates wildly, thereby creating this phenomenon of prolonged heavy rain."
"I see."
It's true that anything related to magic power becomes freakish, huh? Kind of like radiation poisoning. The Demon Continent became so unlivable all because of magic power too. I nodded and followed behind Roxy. She seemed to move quite decisively; she probably already knew where to go since our first inn target was a bust.
Come to think of it, having torrential rain for over ten hours a day every day sounds pretty annoying. My boat trip over the past few days left me a bit traumatized by the phenomenon of water falling from the sky and making everything damp and wet constantly. Especially since it's directly tied to my death in my past life—that was a rainy day too, sigh. Seriously, anything messed up tied to me always seems to involve rain, doesn't it?
"Last time we passed through here, we were lucky it was before the rainy season," Isolde pondered. "If we have to wait here for three months, it really would be inconvenient."
"Actually, there are still a few days left before the rain starts. Six days, to be exact."
While the whole group was still confused about what to do, Talhand, the dwarf mage with Larry perched on his head, spoke up, despite clearly not wanting to talk because he was still seasick. Before anyone could digest that info, Talhand continued.
"The Rainy Season also affects the dwarven villages, so I'm quite used to it and know the exact timing."
"Makes sense." I nodded.
If I remember correctly, while on the ship, Talhand also sighed whenever the ship was about to hit another storm. According to what the navigator of the Iskra told me, grasping meteorology is no easy task, especially with the influence of magic power. Only those specially trained for it can do it well.
Therefore, I felt like there was some other reason Talhand knew it down to the exact day like that. But if he wasn't going to say it, it probably wasn't that important. Anyway, the important thing right now was...
"So in six days, can we make it through the forest in time?" I asked.
"Maybe." The Migurd girl nodded, gripping her staff tightly as she looked at the group. "If we travel by horse and move as fast as possible, it's possible we can make it through. What does everyone think about leaving quickly right before the rainy season arrives?"
"As for me, I oppose this idea." Talhand immediately spoke up. "It's too risky."
Roxy's eyes widened; she seemed surprised by this decisiveness. But she quickly bowed her head slightly toward Talhand.
"I understand. Apologies for being hasty."
"It's fine. I know you want to get the information about Zenith to Paul as soon as possible." Talhand gently patted Roxy's shoulder sympathetically. "So do I, however, risking our lives for it isn't a good idea. The Great Forest's Rainy Season is no joke."
I could understand Talhand's point on this.
Getting stuck in a monster-filled forest with water flooding up to several meters is truly terrifying. In my past life, I'd seen a few cases of rainstorms so huge that houses were completely submerged. And even though that usually lasted a few days at most, it still caused immense hardship for so many people. And here we're talking about a whole three months. Running into that is basically a guaranteed death sentence.
But wait here for a whole three months? It's not a good option either.
When I thought of Zenith's welcoming face every time I visited her house, I truly couldn't bear it. Since I had been stuck in a labyrinth for a long time myself, I knew exactly how horrific it was. So I wanted to get the news about Zenith to Paul as fast as possible so she could be rescued from that godforsaken place. That woman deserves better.
Even so, is there any other way?
Renting some creature that can move faster than a horse didn't seem very feasible. There are monsters that can both walk and swim, but no one's managed to tame them. Rowing a boat through the forest? Sounds logical, but it's not a great idea either because it'd be too easy to get swept away. If the whole gang got swept out to sea, we'd be dead for sure.
But wait, the sea huh?
"How about we continue traveling by sea?" I suggested. "Hire a ship to sail along the coast past the Great Forest. That way we can avoid the rainy season and still cover quite a bit of distance."
"Hmm... that'd be tough." Roxy shook her head. "While it's true we'd dodge the rainy season, there's a high chance we'd be attacked by seafolk for sailing through waters they don't allow."
"Ah, right." I nodded.
I completely forgot that the ocean is the home of some fish like folks who rule the place. Even though I haven't met them, they seem like a grumpy bunch who rely on knowing how to swim and breathe underwater, quite selfish really.
Besides, normal ships wouldn't dare anyway because the monsters in places like that are usually ten thousand times scarier than normal. Like that Great Maw thing Isolde mentioned before, there are a lot more terrifying monsters out there.
The only ones that might do it are pirate ships. And finding a pirate ship willing to help wouldn't be easy either. It's like looking for the Yakuza. Even if you know they exist, getting in touch with them is no walk in the park.
Well, I guess we'll just set that idea aside for now.
But is there any other way? In a magical world full of all sorts of cool stuff, transmitting information sure is difficult. If we had the internet or phones, it would be so much less of a pain, sigh...
While I was still thinking if there was any alternative, Isolde raised a hand.
"Umm... Can't we send letters via carrier pigeon?"
I had completely forgotten about that.
...
"All the carrier pigeons have temporarily been used up. At the earliest, your letter can probably be sent out in two months. From here to Millishion will take another two weeks, making it two and a half months in total." That's what the human receptionist with the massive boobs at the Adventurers' Guild said.
Kinda anticlimactic if you ask me.
"So... that's one month earlier if we factor in our own travel time. Well, at least it's earlier." Roxy muttered, then looked up at the receptionist. "How much is the total cost, Miss Miredol?"
The big-boobed receptionist Miredol pulled out a price list from who knows where, then explained professionally while pointing her finger at the list.
"Let's see. A letter sent to Millishion, during the rainy season, and needs to be sent expressly, so that'll be eight silver coins."
Holy Millis! It's fucking expensive!
Eight silver coins just to send one letter!? That's enough money to feed a family of four for two or three months! Are these people trying to rob us blind or what? There's no way Roxy would accept that.
"Eight silver coins? That's so expensive." Roxy looked visibly annoyed, just as expected.
"It's hard to train pigeons these days, they said." Miredol smiled cheerfully.
"It can't be helped then." But unlike my impression of a frugal Roxy, she took out eight silver coins and placed them on the counter like it was nothing. "Please take care of this for me."
"No problem." Miredol accepted the money and the letter, then nodded. "Welcome back to Zant Port, Roxy."
"You too, Miss Miredol."
After finishing up, our group went to an empty table inside the Adventurers' Guild to rest and discuss what we should do next. However, before starting, I spoke up first.
"Uh, Master Roxy. I have a question." I raised my hand for permission like an obedient student asking to speak in class.
"What is it, Atur?" Roxy asked in return.
"I know it's a bit weird, but aren't eight silver coins a bit expensive?" I frowned. "Normally, even if a letter needs to be sent super express in Asura, it only costs five Large Copper Coins."
"Huh?" Roxy was a bit surprised by the question, but right after, as if realizing something, she immediately explained. "Ah... The value of money in Millis isn't the same as in Asura, Atur."
After that, I was explained the difference in currency standards across countries and continents. It seemed Millis silver coins didn't have the same value as Asura silver coins. Based on the gold-to-impurity ratio, the Asura gold coin was worth way more than the Millis version. Based on the exchange rate listed in the Adventurers' Guild, one Asura gold coin was equivalent to 20 Millis gold coins. Similarly with other types of coins, they had different exchange rates.
Moreover, the money exchange standards of Millis and Asura were also different. Instead of 10 silver coins exchanging for 1 gold coin like I was so used to, or 10 iron coins for 1 Green Ore coin like on the Demon Continent, here in Millis, it was five Millis silver coins for one Millis gold coin. Truly confusing.
Actually... This was pretty obvious. Probably because I was so used to the northern countries I did business with in the past also using Asura currency, I just defaulted to assuming everywhere used the same currency. And then I assumed the Demon Continent was just an exception because it was isolated. Turns out in Millis, people have an entirely separate system; they even have paper money.
"If that's the case, then 8 Millis silver coins is only worth around 8 Asura Large Copper Coins, right?" I nodded. "Then that's pretty cheap."
"Not at all. Not cheap at all." The other three immediately objected to my assessment, and in unison no less.
"Eh? Really?" I scratched my head. "Because sending a letter to Shirone only cost me about that much money too."
"I've always been curious about how someone like you ended up in debt. Now I understand." Isolde nodded in realization.
"True." Roxy and Talhand agreed as well.
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean!"
And so, we decided to stay at Zant Port for the rainy season.