Chapter 147: Chapter 146: The City of Eternal Spring

After their wounds were treated, the captain insisted on ushering the group into his cabin. He announced he was treating them to breakfast and then left to go prepare it.

That being the case, Colin didn’t refuse.

Dim, yellow candlelight illuminated the entire room. However, judging by the light filtering through the window, it would be dawn soon.

"From now on, you need to prioritize your own safety, Orelia," Colin said, his arm wrapped in a bandage. "If something were to happen to you, we can’t exactly expect a Half-Orc to take care of us, can we?"

The Tiefling, a bandage wrapped around her head, nodded lightly.

"Hey, don’t just nod, Pointy Tail. What’s so bad about me taking care of you?" The bleeding holes in Kase’s body had finally been plugged.

"It’s a matter of constitution, my friend Kase. A completely different constitution," Colin said. "Look at you, acting like nothing’s wrong. You just don’t understand how serious the same wound would be on a human."

"That’s because you humans are too fragile."

Kase just grinned, seeming to take the remark as a compliment.

Colin couldn’t be bothered with the Half-Orc’s strange worldview. He replayed the recent battle in his mind.

’The ship started shaking because the Sahuagin were boring holes in the hull—that’s what woke me up. Later, when Orelia and I were leaning over the rail getting some air, they must have mistaken us for Guards checking things out.’

’Of course, the sailors were woken so quickly thanks to the Guard who was attacked at the bow. It’s because of him that this silent raid turned into an open skirmish.’

The battle had cost the ship three men.

The Guard at the bow and two sailors had been dragged away, and the rest of the crew had all sustained injuries to varying degrees.

To be honest, the casualties were remarkably light.

This was mainly because the sailors were all experienced hands, proficient in fighting with Light Armor and Scimitars, which made them combat-effective.

When the captain and a few of his men came up with Lever Crossbows, their first act was to shoot down the Fishman on the mast who was throwing Capture Nets. That was why Colin hadn’t been entangled in a net later, though he hadn’t noticed it amidst the chaos of the battle.

Afterward, Colin and his companions collected two waterskins of Sahuagin blood.

Apparently, this type of Fishman Blood could be used to make Potions. They would just give it to Donkexes to tinker with later.

The Scimitar and Shark Hide Armor from the Fishman Leader, as well as the Short Spears from the Ordinary Fishmen, also went to their group. After witnessing Colin carve a bloody path through the horde, the sailors weren’t about to raise any complaints about an unfair distribution of loot.

The gear’s performance was identical to that of Ordinary Short Spears and Leather Armor, so it wasn’t worth using. They would just have to see how much it would sell for once they were back on shore.

The more useful items, however, were the Fishmen’s Shark-toothed Capture Nets.

At least Kase found them useful, and both Capture Nets went to him.

Lastly, there was some jewelry taken from the Fishmen. It was mostly pearls of various sizes, drilled through to be worn as ornaments. None of them were experts, so they decided to take it to a jewelry shop on shore to see what it was worth.

"Gentlemen, sorry to keep you waiting."

The captain opened the door and walked in with a few sailors, and together they carried in four plates.

The group took the plates and placed them on the table before them.

On the plates were fried eggs, sausages, bacon, and some beans boiled to a pulp. Since they were able to make frequent stops ashore for supplies, the food was still quite decent.

"And where is this Half-Orc gentleman from?" the captain asked, starting a conversation.

"The north. Farther north than Mokewick, which is our destination," Colin replied, spearing a sausage with his knife and popping it into his mouth.

The sausage was short, thick, and plump. Biting into it produced a faint SNAP, and the juicy meat filling exploded in his mouth.

The fatigue from being woken in the middle of the night instantly melted away.

"The north? Are you a Totem Warrior from up there? I hear the Half-Orc Totem Warriors from the far north are some real tough customers."

The captain rambled on, "They can win the favor of the Essence of Nature and, like those uncivilized Barbarians, fight fueled by rage. While enraged, they gain animal-like abilities. In the wild, they’re skilled enough to rival even Elf Rangers—truly formidable opponents in a natural environment."

Not wanting Kase to feel uncomfortable, Colin changed the subject. "So, what’s the plan for the rest of our journey?"

He picked up another piece of bacon and put it in his mouth.

It was fried to a perfect crisp, rich and greasy. A few chews were enough to understand the literal meaning of the phrase "a fragrance that lingers on the lips and teeth."

"The ship’s doctor is out of herbs. And frankly, morale is too low to keep up our current pace. We’ll need to stop at Holy Tear City to resupply, which might cause a slight delay."

The captain added, "I’ll have my men string up a couple of hammocks in here later. You all can sleep here for the time being."

"If you insist," Colin agreed with a sigh of resignation.

"So, when do you think you’ll be heading back to Thousand Masts City? You are going back, aren’t you?"

"Probably in a little over half a month. Why?"

"Perfect. I’ll wait for you in Mokewick in about two weeks’ time. I was hoping to... bring a few things back with me," the captain said, rubbing his hands together.

"Weren’t you supposed to be hauling cargo north?"

The captain chuckled. "Plans are like the tide. No one ever knows when it will come in, when it will go out, or when it will change, do they?"

’So that’s what he was getting at,’ Colin thought. ’He wants a free escort.’

’If he can transport some of the north’s specialty furs back south, he’ll definitely earn far more than he would by continuing to haul cargo up there. That’s probably why he changed his plans.’

With this thought in mind, Colin nodded in agreement.

’Compared to that Dwarf from the previous caravan, this man’s shrewdness was a bit more agreeable. At least his little schemes weren’t so obviously detrimental to others.’

The captain quickly expressed his gratitude. "Thank you ever so much."

The group chatted about other topics, making for a rather long breakfast.

For the next few days, Colin and his companions essentially moved into the captain’s cabin.

Colin and Kase slept in the hammocks, while Orelia took the captain’s bed.

As the captain’s cabin was one of the few quarters on the ship with windows, the group was no longer tormented by the smell of mildew. The nights were much quieter, and all in all, their stay was quite comfortable.

「On the morning of the third day, Holy Tear City appeared before them.」

The entire city was shrouded in a light mist. In the distance, they could faintly make out a great mountain known as the Witch’s Hammer. It was conical in shape, with a distinct depression at its peak, indicating that it was a volcano.

"What a beautiful city..." Orelia marveled, leaning against the ship’s rail.

"I’ve been here before," Kase said. "It’s a special place. See? No snow ever settles on the ground around the city."

"And do you know why that is, my friend Kase?"

Kase sighed. "Oh, here we go again."

"It’s said that veins of lava from that volcano flow beneath the city, which is why Holy Tear City has so many hot springs. The people here simply laid metal pipes to channel a constant supply of hot water into every home and beneath the city streets. That’s why it’s also called ’The City Without Winter’," Colin recited smoothly.

"That’s amazing, Mr. Colin," Orelia said with a smile.

As they chatted, the ship slowly passed through the thin mist and drew closer to the city.