"Then what should we do about passage by ship?"
Sairun asked, setting down his spoon.
It was the most important problem facing us right now.
All we knew for certain was that we had to cross to the island; as for how, we didn't even have a clue.
"Is there some place where we can arrange it separately?"
When I asked, Sairun shook his head.
"No. I looked around earlier, but there wasn't anything like that. The harbor's divided into several districts, too. I think... we'll have to go around and ask in person."
As expected of another world.
A savage land with not so much as an automatic ticket machine at the pier, let alone a clear notice board.
Come to think of it, this would be my first time taking a boat.
There had been one time before when I almost did, but back then I'd ended up being dragged off somewhere completely different.
"Then I'll go to the harbor with Baldik and look into it."
Sairun volunteered first.
At that, Baldik raised one hand with his eyes half-closed and added in a slouching tone,
"If possible, find somewhere cheap. My hangover still hasn't gone away."
"Fine. The rest of us will take a look around the market."
Chad spoke indifferently, still spitting fish bones out of his mouth.
"Should we pick up some supplies too?"
When Ranson asked, I nodded.
"Food and odds and ends. We don't know what'll be on the next island."
And so, our party naturally split into two groups.
Sairun and Baldik went to find passage, while the rest of us headed to the market deeper inside the city.
'Now, if we can just make it safely to the harbor...'
I thought we might finally be able to breathe a little easier, but I knew all too well that the world was never that simple.
***
The area that could be called the market was wider than I'd expected.
And just as expected, one thing was certain.
Most of what was being sold was fish.
Befitting a port city, fish that looked as if they had just been hauled straight out of the sea were laid out everywhere, and near the shore there were even some being sold alive in small tubs filled with water.
The fishy smell and the salt-laden wind wrapped around the entire market, and in the middle of it all, people haggled over prices or carried loads with practiced ease.
"Cheap! Caught today!"
"Come take a look at the goods! Stop by before you board your ship!"
The market bustled with the cries of hawkers.
"Oh, there's a huge fish over there."
"Calm down. That's not what we came to see, is it?"
Chad had been losing his head every time he saw a fish since earlier.
Even now, he was staring at a fish the size of a massive tuna, his eyes half-glazed, trying to drift toward it, only for Ranson to hurriedly grab his arm and stop him.
Leaving that scene behind, I slowly looked around.
As expected of a trade city, there were many people, and just as many kinds of goods being sold.
General goods, silk, imported spices, dressed meat, medicinal herbs.
If we went deeper into the city center, there would likely be even rarer items, but this was the market where goods brought in by sea gathered.
For a brief moment, I felt as though the pulse of this lively city was touching my skin.
When we went a little farther in, the things we were looking for finally began to come into view.
Unlike the front part of the market, where fish and seaweed were lined up everywhere, the atmosphere here was completely different.
Equipment shops.
Swords, shields, armor, bows, leather, parts, and even repair tools.
A fairly wide variety of shops stretched along the narrow alley, but strangely enough, they all had one thing in common.
Not a single shop displayed its goods outside.
Everything was displayed deep inside the shops, and when a customer came, they would bring items out one by one to show them.
"Hmm, this neighborhood is careful even with displays."
"Isn't it because there are a lot of pirates or bandits around?"
"And yet they pile fish up like mountains outside?"
Chad muttered, staring blankly at a fish cart passing by.
It was definitely ironic.
But if I thought about it another way, it made sense.
Metal equipment and leather goods were expensive per item, and easy to steal.
Since this place was close to the sea, there were plenty of customers who came from across the water, and it seemed they were just as wary of people.
"Still, I wonder if there'll be anything decent."
"Let's not hope for anything too good. This city is a trade hub anyway. Wouldn't there be more combat gear inland?"
"Well, simple repairs and resupply should be enough."
As we exchanged words, I stopped in front of a shop farther down the alley.
On a small, old sign made of red cloth, the faint shape of a weapon had been drawn.
'Well, I'm not expecting much... but who knows.'
I pushed the door open and went inside.
It was much quieter inside than it had looked from the outside.
The moment I stepped in, a peculiar scent brushed past my nose: old oil mixed with metal dust.
Weapons covered in thick cloth were neatly placed inside wooden display cases, while shields, bows, and leather protectors hung at even intervals along the wall.
In one corner of the shop, a middle-aged man was striking something with a small hammer in hand.
The hand that had been peeling rust off a piece of iron stopped the moment we opened the door.
He raised his head and looked at us,
then abruptly stood up with a bright smile on his face.
"Ohh! It's been so long... no, welcome, everyone!"
"Ah, yes."
His tone cut off oddly, as if he'd messed up some prepared line, but his expression seemed genuinely welcoming.
"Are you traveling? Or on a commission? Ah, or perhaps you're people about to cross by ship?"
He spoke quickly.
And somehow... he gave off the air of a rather sly merchant.
"We just stopped by. We were wondering if you had any decent weapons or armor."
"We do, we do. Of course we do!"
He deftly pulled back a cloth in front of us and took out a weapon.
It wasn't a very large shop, but the paths inside were arranged quite well, and his hand moved smoothly as he uncovered the cloth.
"This one here is made of a material you don't often see these days. It was recovered from a pirate ship, and with just a little work done on it, it's in very fine condition."
"A pirate ship...?"
Ranson's eyes lit up as he stepped closer, and I first quietly looked down at the weapon.
It was a dagger.
But its shape was unusual.
The blade was not a typical curve, but bent like a wave, and a small gem was set into the end of the hilt.
"Believe it or not, they say this was made for hunting monsters. It's highly specialized for breaking bones."
"......"
"Ah, the price? Heh heh. Don't worry. For travelers like you, I'll give it at a special price. Along with information!"
At those words, my eyebrow twitched in spite of myself.
Information?
From the owner of an equipment shop?
"Information?"
"Yes, regarding ship passage. These days, if you board just any ship and sail out, you'll be in for trouble."
At that, every gaze in our party turned toward him.
Only then did he slightly raise the corners of his mouth and say with feigned nonchalance,
"So, would you like to look at equipment? Or would you like information?"
At the merchant's words, I withdrew my gaze for a moment and quietly looked back at the others behind me.
"What should we do? Look at equipment first, or information?"
Chad furrowed his brows slightly and tilted his head.
"I don't have the money to change my equipment in the first place."
"..."
"I don't think we particularly need any either."
Ranson replied while fiddling with his dagger.
"Still... the talk about ship passage sounds tempting. If we try to get on cheaply and end up being dragged off somewhere, that'd be a serious problem."
"..."
At that, Hain nodded as well.
"I vote for information too. Let's decide quickly before Sairun and Baldik get back."
I turned my gaze again and looked around the shop interior.
A few weapons covered with cloth; most of the armor was mid-grade leather armor or low-quality metal.
I could see some gear that looked like it would cost quite a bit, but despite appearances, our party's equipment wasn't bad.
Forcing ourselves to get more might only increase the burden of travel.
"...Let's hear the information first."
When I came to a conclusion, the merchant nodded as if he'd been waiting for it.
"Good. A wise choice."
Smiling, he gestured with a sweep of his hand toward the small table inside the shop where he had been sitting.
"Have a seat and listen. Regarding ship passage, some rather interesting rumors have been going around these past few days."
Following the merchant's gesture, I cautiously sat down in a chair. Chad and Ranson took seats beside me as well.
The merchant perched himself on the table and lowered his voice.
"Over the past few days, you see, there have been quite a few strange movements at the harbor."
"...Strange?"
He glanced around once, then continued in an even quieter voice.
"Ships have disappeared. Merchant ships that set sail perfectly normally, at that."
"Not sunk, but disappeared?"
"Yes. No records, no news of wreckage. But not a single person who was aboard those ships has returned."
Sairun frowned.
"Then is it the work of pirates?"
"It may be, and it may not be. What's certain is that someone is keeping mouths shut."
The merchant paused for breath, then took out a small, old map and spread it on the table.
"There are three routes to Kron in total."
He pointed with his finger at the sea on the map.
"One is the route that goes around to the north. It's heavily affected by the weather. The second is the middle route, the most commonly used path. The third is the route that goes around to the south, but it's long, and the rumors about it aren't good. They say a ship that followed that route in the past vanished whole in the middle of the sea."
Looking down at the map, I asked,
"So which route is the safest these days?"
"I can tell you that. Naturally... if you pay an appropriate price."
As expected, this was a world where information was a weapon.
"How much?"
When Ranson asked first, the merchant smiled faintly and held up two fingers.
"Two silver coins."
Hearing that, Ranson glanced at me.
"I hate to say this, but that's really expensive."
"...But it's information we need."
I quietly nodded and was about to take out the silver when Ranson stopped me.
"I'll pay."
He placed two silver coins on the table.
The merchant collected the silver, spread the map again, and pointed to the middle route.
"This route. Right now, ships taking this route are the safest."
"Why?"
"Because the city is controlling it. Only ships directly selected by the harbor office are being given permission to move. Of course, not all of them. Only some. A very small number. And among them—"
He lowered his breath slightly and tapped the tip of his finger on the name of a harbor.
"Here. A merchant ship belonging to the 'Kendel Trading Company' is the most reliable. They have deep trust in this city, and inspections on their ship are comparatively lax."
"When does that ship depart?"
"The day after tomorrow. You'll have to find a way within two days."
I let out a light breath.
There wasn't much time, but at least we had gained an opportunity.
"Thank you. That was a great help."
"If you need anything else, come find me anytime. Ah, and for weapon exchanges too."
The merchant grinned craftily and pointed at the display case, and we quietly rose from our seats.
As we left, I quietly whispered to Sairun.
"Now we need to find Sairun and Baldik."
"Do you think they managed to get tickets?"
"...I'm uneasy, so let's confirm it again ourselves."
And so we once more blended into the crowd of the market street.
Two days.
That was the time we had.
***
After wandering from shop to shop nearby and rummaging through this and that, we managed to pick up some fairly decent items at fairly decent prices.
The most satisfying among them was a pair of thin leather bracers.
They looked crude at first glance, but the tough texture characteristic of horsehide could be felt from the very tips of my fingers, and sturdy quilting had been carefully stitched along the edges.
What I'd been using before were cheap iron bracers, and every time I wore them, it was common for them to rub between my shoulders and arms until they left bruises.
Their defensive power would be a bit lower, but at least these didn't seem likely to stab into my body even if I wore them all day.
And gloves.
The new gloves I bought had a thin layer of tanned leather over the backs of the hands, while the palms were reinforced with two layers to reduce friction against a grip.
The lining wasn't rough, but soft, like clothing that had been worn for a long time.
It felt less like it had been made for combat and more with long-distance travel and outdoor living in mind, which made it perfect for me right now.
The gloves I had originally been wearing had lost their color long ago, the fingertips were frayed with loose threads, and they had even begun to reek.
I had tried to throw them away several times, only to keep wearing them with the excuse that they were “still usable,” but the moment I bought a new pair of gloves and slipped them on, I realized just what I had been doing to myself all this time.
‘So this is why everyone’s face brightens up whenever they replace a piece of gear.’
They weren’t exceptionally expensive, nor were they noticeably luxurious.
Even so, gear that fit your body and felt comfortable was more important to a mercenary than anything else.
I rolled my shoulders slightly, and the bracers and gloves settled snugly around me without getting in the way at all.
“Nice.”
The word slipped out on its own.
With this alone, today’s trip to the market had been worthwhile.
The others also bought things with their own purposes in mind.
Since Ranson and his servant Duo were in positions far removed from combat in the first place, they showed no interest in armor or weapons.
Instead, like proper merchants, they carefully chose lightweight food suited for long-distance travel and items with good shelf life.
Salted meat that would sell well anywhere, dried fruit, and even cheap grains that packed a lot of calories for their volume.
Even while choosing such things, Ranson meticulously checked the origin, condition, and storage methods of each item.
Thanks to that, he was also a great help when I was choosing my gear.
Seeing him identify not only weapons, but even the quality of leather and the type of thread used for stitching, he seemed less like a merchant and more like half an equipment craftsman.
Was this the dignity of a fallen noble?
Chad, on the other hand, was definitely a bit… unusual.
He had no interest whatsoever in weapons or armor.
Instead, whenever even the faintest scent of food drifted by, he would snap his head around like a ghost.
A few times, he even disappeared from our sight, probably having gone missing near some snack stall.
But seeing as he didn’t go any farther than that, it seemed his funds were finally running low.
With the relic’s restriction making the amount he ate extraordinary, even a single day’s worth of food expenses must have been considerable.
Amid all that, the one and only thing he consistently showed interest in was “helmets.”
At every shop we passed, he would pause for a moment in front of the helmet display.
He did not check their weight with his fingertips or casually inspect their materials.
He simply glanced around the shop and quietly examined the helmets.
Then, the corners of his mouth would rise slightly.
A smirk.
It was the kind of expression that anyone could tell meant, “Yes, mine is better after all.”
How should I put it… it looked as if he were just going around confirming his own satisfaction.
Self-satisfaction, or perhaps a kind of bragging.
Even though he had no money to buy a new helmet—no, even though he had no intention of buying one anyway—he would look over the helmets, needlessly stroke his own helmet once, and then look pleased…
I didn’t understand it, but strangely enough, it suited a person like Chad.
After buying what we needed at the market, we regrouped and were making our way toward the trading company we had heard about earlier.
Just then, three soldiers in fairly well-kept armor approached us through the crowd.
“Excuse us.”
The soldier at the front bowed politely before us. It was a trained movement, with not a hint of rudeness.
“Pardon the intrusion, but may I ask if Sir Chad is among you?”
Chad quietly narrowed his eyes, then let out a small sigh.
“…That would be me. What is the matter?”
The soldier immediately placed a hand over his chest and offered a respectful salute.
“The lord of the city wishes to meet with you, sir.”
“Oh, for crying out loud…”
Chad let out a short groan.
“This is why I go around without saying anything.”
Then he turned back to us and shrugged.
“This is why carrying a title around is such a pain. I shouldn’t have let that count’s house take my oath for no reason.”
“…So you really were a knight of a count’s house.”
I looked at Chad again without thinking.
A count’s house? An oath? Was that seal from earlier perhaps the symbol of a count’s house?
If so, then before the baronial house where Aileen had been, he had belonged to an even higher-ranking noble family.
‘He really has drifted from place to place.’
Judging by his appearance alone, I had thought he was nothing more than a third-rate mercenary who only depleted our food supplies… but he was far more impressive than I had expected.
“The lord of the city is scheduled to leave the castle soon, so he wishes to see you now. Would that be acceptable?”
“Fine, well. I suppose I can’t refuse. But you’ll have to let my companions spend their time separately.”
“Of course, sir. Your companions may freely look around the city.”
The soldiers stepped aside, making way for Chad to take the lead.
Chad exhaled briefly, then looked at us with only his eyes visible beneath his helmet and said,
“I’ll be back soon. If anything strange happens, let’s meet right in front of the trading company.”
“…Have a safe trip.”
And so, guided by the soldiers, Chad disappeared beyond the walls of the port city of Rimen.