Chapter 252: The Journey of the Viscount's Second Son (1)

Wearing a fur coat, Edie sat on a cart piled high with goods, looking back at the receding Red River City. As the merchant caravan traveled further away, the city's modest walls gradually blurred in his vision. The road beneath them grew increasingly potholed, the bumps jarring his backside uncomfortably.

"My friend, how does it feel to travel far from the castle?"

Hearing the half-concerned, half-teasing voice of his friend, Milne Green, from behind him, Edie scratched his curly hair in distress.

"Honestly, it doesn't feel great."

With that, Edie pointed to the herbal goods beneath him. The Grimm Family had hoarded these herbs in early summer, and after baking under the summer sun, they had hardened like branches, exuding an unpleasant medicinal stench.

"If you imagine yourself sitting on a pile of gold coins, you'll feel completely different."

The two exchanged a glance and burst out laughing. These specialty herbs, harvested in the Horn Kingdom during the summer, could sell for nearly twice their original price in the dead of winter. But if one transported them to the neighboring Kingdom of Pavlan, as Milne was doing, the price would increase by more than tenfold.

This was Milne's way of making money.

"Seriously, Milne, how about coming with me to the Overseas Archipelago? With your brains and my strength, we'll carve out a career for ourselves sooner or later."

Hearing this, Milne hesitated. Edie's proposal was tempting, but starting over in an unfamiliar environment was far less comfortable than Red River City, where his family had operated for decades. Most importantly, the Overseas Archipelago was monster territory.

"My friend, the Overseas Archipelago is crawling with monsters like Ogres and gnolls. Just the thought of living in the same city as those things makes me..."

Milne shrugged.

"You know what I mean. I'm terrified that once I fall asleep, I'll end up as bones in a cooking pot."

Milne glanced around the caravan. The mercenaries hired at great expense reeked of alcohol and sweat, but once they entered the wilderness, they displayed their professional edge. Their callused hands hovered near their sword hilts, and their sharp eyes constantly swept the waist-high dry grass flanking the road.

The wilderness of Nordhill was far from peaceful.

The immediate radius around civilization was fine. The city's rulers organized annual patrols to sweep the surrounding areas, clearing out the monsters that seemed to spring up from the dirt.

Once far from the cities, a traveler had to rely on the sharp sword in their hand or the blessing of the Goddess of Fortune. If their blade wasn't sharp enough, or if they fell under the gaze of the Goddess of Misfortune, it was highly likely they would be reduced to a pile of unspeakable filth by the very next day.

Edie nodded, understanding Milne's concerns.

"My dear friend, your worries are justified. But according to the information my father shared with me, the Overseas Archipelago is a land of order. The monsters there don't eat people. Hmm... how should I explain this?"

Edie frowned in thought for a moment before speaking.

"Take Kasos, that city where humans and monsters coexist, as an example. Let alone people getting eaten, there isn't even anyone relieving themselves on the streets. And it's not just the noble district—it's the entire city."

"That's impossible!"

Milne was slightly taken aback.

"Even in a human city like Red River City, there's no stopping drunks and slum-dwellers from leaving their filth in the streets."

Had anyone else made such a claim, Milne would have scoffed outright. But coming from Edie Campbell, he had to weigh the words carefully.

Edie's full name was Edie Campbell. He was the second son of Viscount Campbell of Red River City. The Viscount was one of the highest-ranking figures in the city, and though Edie was born to a concubine, the circles he mingled in were far beyond the reach of a commoner like Milne.

Moreover, Milne knew his childhood friend well. Edie would never lie in the name of the father he so deeply respected.

Seeing Milne still hesitating, Edie pressed on.

"It's true. Plus, my father got this information straight from the Duke of Uldum. The House of Duke Uldum has trade relations with the Overseas Archipelago, and I hear they even own their own shops in Sokas."

Milne's eyes sparkled at this. The Duke of Uldum was a top-tier aristocrat in the Horn Kingdom; if the news came from him, it was highly credible.

"Alright, I'll have to give it some serious thought..."

Edie nodded. After all, Milne was not in his position. Edie had an outstanding older brother destined to inherit their father's title. Milne, on the other hand, was born into a wealthy merchant family in Red River City. Though he also had two older brothers, Milne was equally capable; with enough effort, he stood a real chance of inheriting the family business.

And so, the noble second son of Red River City, Edie Campbell, hitched a ride with his friend's caravan to the Kingdom of Pavlan, embarking on his journey to the Overseas Archipelago.

...

A month later, the two friends from the Horn Kingdom, Edie Campbell and Milne Green, arrived at Victoria Harbour in the Kingdom of Pavlan.

Milne Green had been unable to resist the temptation of striking it rich in a newly opened territory. After selling off his goods in the capital of the Kingdom of Pavlan, he sent the caravan manager back alone. Carrying the profits, he accompanied his friend to Victoria Harbour.

They would board a ship from Victoria Harbour bound for the Overseas Archipelago to begin their road to riches.

In the early morning, sunlight broke through the white clouds and washed over the ancient houses of Victoria Harbour, waking the slumbering populace of the millennial city. Most would merely repeat their routine from yesterday, but a small few would set out on unfamiliar journeys.

The Viscount's second son, Edie, stepped out of the tavern where they were staying and stretched under the morning sun. The two sheathed longswords hanging from his belt knocked against each other, giving off a crisp, metallic clink.

A damp sea breeze carrying the scent of the ocean rushed into Edie's nose, clearing some of the grogginess from his mind.

The thought of boarding the ship today had left Edie somewhat sleepless the night before.

"Oh, @#¥%...&*! That tavern owner is a complete vampire! Five silver coins for just three days!"

Behind Edie, his merchant friend cursed as he walked out of the tavern. Hearing what they had spent over the last three days, Edie couldn't help but click his tongue.

The various nations of the Nordhill Continent used a universal currency minting standard: 1 gold coin = 10 silver coins = 1,000 copper coins.

In Red River City, five silver coins would have been enough for an average commoner family to live comfortably for half a month. He never expected that in Victoria Harbour, it would only last them three days—and that was with neither of them eating or drinking lavishly.

But since it wasn't his money anyway, Edie offered a grinning consolation.

"Stop complaining. We're lucky we even found a place to stay."

Before arriving at Victoria Harbour, the two had smugly assumed they would be among the first batch of travelers. They hadn't realized so many others shared their exact idea.

Victoria Harbour was overflowing with people bound for the Overseas Archipelago, to the point that they could only buy tickets for a ship leaving three days later, leaving them at the mercy of the tavern owner's extortion.

"Too expensive? Then get out! There's plenty of people lining up."

Remembering the tavern owner's arrogant face from three days ago, Milne wanted nothing more than to punch him right on his flat nose. Hearing his friend's cheeky comfort, he rolled his eyes.

"Oh, it's not your money anyway, right?!"

"Hehehe, yep. To think I hid it so well, but you still saw right through me."

Looking at Edie's grinning face, Milne suddenly felt a strong urge to punch him instead.

Never mind, he couldn't beat him in a fight anyway.

Milne glanced at the two longswords at Edie's waist. Just seven days ago, those exact swords had chopped off a gnoll's head and saved his life.

That was exactly why he had volunteered to cover all their expenses these past few days.

After their banter, the two casually bought some breakfast on the street and hurried toward the docks. Their tavern was a fair distance from the port, which was a blessing in disguise—had it been any closer, they might not have found a room at all and would have had to sleep on the streets.

The pair quickly navigated the muddy streets and arrived at the famous Victoria Harbour docks. From afar, they spotted a massive, brand-new three-masted sailing ship.

Seeing the Four-Dragon Ring on Blue Flag fluttering above it, they knew they had found their target.

A long line had already formed in front of the ship. The two quickly hurried over and took their place at the back. When their turn arrived, they handed over two tickets that still smelled of fresh ink.

A burly human sailor checked the numbers on the tickets against the ship's name printed on them before letting the pair aboard.

Spotting the large letters painted on the hull, Milne couldn't help but read them aloud.

"Sea Wolf."

Crossing the gangplank propped against the bulwark, the two stepped onto the deck of the Sea Wolf.

Milne suddenly spotted a terrifying figure wearing a captain's hat standing by the ship's wheel, and instantly understood why this vessel was named the Sea Wolf.

Because the captain of this ship was a gnoll!

Recalling the sensation of foul-smelling, hot blood spraying across his face, Milne shuddered.

Edie was also drawn to the towering figure. Compared to the two wild gnolls he had slain a few days ago, this one was far more majestic and imposing. His arched back was as broad as if he carried a mountain, and his fur, standing on end like steel needles, couldn't conceal the dense outline of muscle underneath. He exuded a palpable, almost physical aura of oppression.

A gleaming cutlass hung from his belt, but looking at his razor-sharp claws and teeth, Edie felt that this gnoll probably wouldn't even need the blade to deal with him.

Edie couldn't help but marvel inwardly. Compared to the beast before him, the two gnolls he had killed could only be called wild dogs.

Fortunately, Edie wasn't worried about the captain attacking him. The gnoll captain was currently sitting on the bulwark, holding a liquor bottle and bragging with a few sailors. The crew consisted of both monsters and humans. Standing around them was a small crowd of people in varying attire, whom Edie judged to be fellow passengers.

From a distance, and with the gnoll captain's common tongue carrying a strange accent, Edie couldn't make out exactly what he was saying. He only caught a few scattered words like "Kumlinge" and "magical beast." He guessed the gnoll was telling a story about fighting a monster.

Unable to suppress his curiosity, Edie walked over to the group.

"Edie?!"

"It's fine! Come take a look. We can learn a bit about the Overseas Archipelago in advance."

Seeing his companion walk over, Milne braced himself and followed.

The arrival of two newcomers didn't draw the crowd's attention. The gnoll captain casually glanced at them before continuing his tale.

Sure enough, the gnoll captain was recounting his combat experiences from when he followed the White Dragon Lord to conquer and develop Kumlinge.

Suddenly, the slightly buzzed gnoll captain casually tossed his empty liquor bottle behind himself and vaulted down from the bulwark, startling the captivated audience.

Then, the captain tore open his pale blue vest, baring his muscular, fur-covered chest. Stretching diagonally down from his heart all the way to his abdominal muscles were four thick, pink scars.

"Whoa!"

The crowd gasped at the terrifying wounds. Even without seeing it with their own eyes, they could imagine how horrifyingly massive the beast that left such deep claw marks must have been.

The crowd's astonishment greatly satisfied the gnoll captain's vanity. He patted his chest proudly.

"See this! This is the souvenir left by that five-meter-long magical lion. It nearly took my life! Hic! But luckily, Lord Gurgalu was there and blew the lion's head wide open with one swing of his club. Hic! Though, I gave it a damn good slash too."

The gnoll captain didn't forget to boast of his own contributions.

When an audience member raised a question, the gnoll captain's already loud voice rose even higher.

"Ah! You ask who Lord Gurgalu is?! You fool! Hic! You don't even know Lord Gurgalu, the chieftain of the Skull-Crusher Ogres?!"

"What? You're from the far west of the continent? Fine, I forgive you, since you crossed the whole continent. Hic! Lord Gurgalu is a rare two-headed ogre! He is Lord Amos's most capable lieutenant. If you ever have the honor of seeing him, you'll definitely be floored by his majestic presence."

Hearing the barely concealed worship in the slightly drunk gnoll captain's voice, the crowd couldn't help but grow curious about this "Lord Gurgalu." After all, any person—no, any Ogre—capable of earning the deep admiration of a Level 13 High-Tier Warrior must be extraordinary.

At that moment, a Murloc sailor walked over.

"Captain! It's time! We should set sail!"

"What?! Already?! Damn it! My old habit of drinking and bragging is acting up again. I nearly delayed the real work."

The gnoll captain pounded his slightly woozy head in frustration.

"My head isn't feeling too good. Have the second mate take over my post. Hic!"

After instructing the Murloc sailor to notify the second mate, the gnoll waved a large hand at his audience.

"Everyone, you'll be on the Sea Wolf for three and a half days. We'll have plenty of time to keep drinking and chatting later. I need to rest for a bit. Hic!"

Not quite finished with his bragging, the gnoll captain swayed slightly as he walked toward the cabin.

The gathered crowd dispersed.

Pinching his chin, Edie watched the gnoll captain's retreating back with great interest.

"Interesting. A powerful gnoll who loves to drink and brag. Milne, it looks like our journey won't be too boring."

Beside him, Milne had forgotten his fear of monsters and nodded in agreement.