「I’m not sure when it started, but there are stories about it near Cadiasmite Island. Supposedly there’s a ghost ship there.」
Sero leaned his body closer to Mira as he spoke in a low voice.
「Oh…Oh oh oh! That does sound interesting!」
Cadiasmite, that was the name given to a small island near the western shore of the continent. It was an island close to the Schmägfen region, and with the naval country of Vali at its helm, it housed the Cadiasmite Allied Nations’ navy, said to be the strongest naval army of the continent.
「This is a pretty common story amongst sailors, and a captain I met around ten years ago first told it to me. Apparently, during twilight, a deep mist shrouds sailing ships and the ghost ship appears out of it. Those who have seen it all describe it the same, they were surrounded by mist and then an old galley appeared sailing alongside their ship.」
「Some also said they saw a jolly roger hung on the mast, and a man, probably the captain, standing on the deck wearing red clothes.」
「There have been many more stories built on top of that. Some say that if you follow the ship it’ll lead you to a pirate’s treasure, others say that the souls of those who drown at sea are trapped in the ghost ship and forced to wander aimlessly forever as crew. I also heard some believe the ghost ship houses legendary weapons and armor long lost to time.」
「I also heard rumors that it’s just a secret experimental weapon of Vali, though I’d prefer to think there are legendary weapons in it. I’m a warrior after all.」
「I also think that!」
The last bit was just Sero being playful, but Emera seemed to fully believe it as her eyes twinkled thinking of legendary treasures.
「It’s all just rumors though.」
Sero looked a bit troubled as he ended with that. Fricca looked somewhat bored, forcing herself to smile while looking up to the ceiling together with Zef. Legendary weapons. Emera was too excited thinking of possessing a legendary sword, losing herself in her delusions oblivious to the reaction she received.
「That story does make me curious though. Before, I would have gone straight there to check it out, but now… it’s a bit different.」
「I know what you mean. It has been intriguing me for a while too.」
In the real world, rumors of ghost ships were always hoaxes, but in this world filled with all sorts of fantastic phenomena, a rumor like that held much more credibility. That change in common sense made Sero and Mira laugh between themselves, their imagination running wild with ghost ships.
「Now onto the next rumor.」
Ordering a second serving of honey ale and herbal tea, Sero continued talking, his face showing he was genuinely enjoying himself.
「After the sea, comes the sky. This is a story believed to be true amongst those using flying ships- Yes, what is it Mira?」
Before he was done, Mira raised her hand hearing a word she did not recognize. Sero understood her signal instantly and asked with a similar voice to a teacher.
「I never heard of flying ships before, are they really..?」
「Yes, they are ships that can fly through the sky. They were created thanks to the latest advancements in magic engineering, or well, they started production around three years ago. Though the manufacturing costs are also quite expensive, so there’s only five currently in use in the Three Gods’ Countries, Atlantis, and Nirvana, each country having one.」
「Ohh… large countries are always ahead like that.」
The Three Gods’ Countries were the original starting place for players, and boasted the largest number of inhabitants and military forces of the continent. Then there were two more countries that stood alongside them, the kingdom of Atlantis and the Nirvana empire. Two countries founded by the most distinguished players.
「They might be more produced once their size gets reduced. But anyway, this rumor came from one of the largest flying ships.」
「Apparently it all started when they attempted to transport a very heavy load with the flying ship. The skies were clear and it was the perfect day to set sail. Everything went well until halfway through its route, when it suddenly got thrown amidst a violent storm.」
「Inside the storm, the sky was black as if it was night, and the only light they had were the lightning flashes that appeared every so often. They were hit by very strong wind and rain, and as the entire crew worked their hardest to get out of the storm, that made its appearance.」
Sero made a short pause then, the owner had just brought him the refills he asked for.
「You adventurers seem to know all sorts of stories, I always love hearing you talk about them.」
Leaving the mug and cup on the bar, the owner smiled with an entertained and curious smile.
「It comes with the job, I guess. Though maybe I just seek them out of fun, since I also love stories.」
Saying that, Sero took the cup to his lips and smiled back at the owner. It was like they had formed some form of connection, the owner also heard all sorts of stories thanks to his job, given that he constantly encountered adventurers that stayed in his establishment, who he would end up talking with. So as time passed, he would also be captivated by the dream-filled tales befitting of adventurers.
After a light bow, the owner returned to his post.
Sero held the cup in a presumptuous way, gallantly bringing it back to his lips. Mira seemed to mirror him in that action, also drinking from her glass.
Everyone from Écarlate Carillon had gotten curious about Sero’s stories as they listened attentively, though only Fricca was more focused on constantly moving her seat closer to Mira while no one else noticed.
「Anyway, let’s continue where we left off. I think I told you all the backstory so let’s continue from there.」
「When they were about to pierce through the storm clouds, everyone working hard on their duties, a bolt of very bright lightning went off deep inside the storm. It was hard to see from all the rain and wind, but the lightning illuminated the dark and thick clouds for an instant, and there the silhouette of a castle could be seen. It was not just one or two people who saw it, but the entire crew.」
「The silhouette of a giant castle floating somewhere in the sky, shrouded in stormy clouds. It did not happen just one time either, but it was seen again multiple times throughout different places. 」
「Could that be the…!」
「Yes, a castle in the sky, Mira.」
The second rumor was about a floating castle. Those were very common plot devices in fantasy stories, but hearing one could exist in that world she inadvertently stood up, and Fricca followed shortly. The two quickly ran outside the inn.
「If there really exists a floating castle, then I’m sure there are magic records we’ve never seen before stored in it.」
「Ohh, that’s an unexpected reaction. You’re finally starting to sound like an actual spellcaster.」
That Fricca could react that way was hard to imagine for Mira, having only seen a different side of her before, but she still took that opportunity to tease her about it. Soon after Emera also came out of the inn.
「She always acts crazy when you’re around, but Fricca is usually pretty serious about her craft.」
She also followed up on Fricca, but then she grabbed Fricca’s hand that was about to reach Mira and twisted it.
The sky they saw was dotted with white clouds, and Mira got excited thinking there could be a castle hidden in one of them. Meanwhile, Fricca’s cries of pain came from her side.
After imagining all sorts of things hidden in the clouds, the three returned inside the inn. Mira then took the chair that somehow appeared much closer to her own and placed it a distance away, then sat down. Fricca also sat down at her side, and Mira just dramatically hung her head in silence.
「Ever since I heard that I also tend to look at the sky all the time.」
Sero smiled as he said that to Mira. Now that she knew about that, she felt like the next time she would travel with Pegasus, she would want to go even higher than before. Imagining all that, her lips slowly formed a smile.
「The only common factor from all the eye-witnesses was the sudden storm. They were all thrown into a storm, and inside of it saw the castle. I guess that storm is there to protect it from intruders.」
「Yeah, that sounds possible. That has to be it.」
The two nodded at each other, then began imagining how the castle would look past the storm, floating in all its glory. They then started exchanging ideas of how it would be up there, and at first the other members felt left out, but eventually the conversation influenced them as well, and the five of them now fervently discussed how their ideal castle in the sky would look like.
「Looks like we got a bit too carried away. Let’s talk about the last one.」
The castle in the sky had turned into a magnificent palace sealing an ancient beast, while buried below it remained the holy sword of a legendary hero. The library was lined with shelves full of magic tomes from eons ago, the treasure housing piles of gold and silver, and the garden had a fountain that regularly produced drops of life essence. The five had finished picturing a castle like that, when Sero, slightly embarrassed with himself, steered the conversation back to the rumors.
「This last story is something I heard from an adventurer I know, so more than a rumor it’s a recount of his experience. He usually works in the northern regions of the Ark continent, but one day he had some business over in the Mirage Shrine. First, he bought a gyroscopic compass crystal from a miner, and then went through the Oljato dessert on his way to the shrine, but apparently, that crystal was of bad quality and halfway through his journey it stopped working.」
「That sounds like he had a really rough time then…」
Mira felt sorry for Sero’s friend adventurer. After all, she had been through a similar situation before.
The Ark continent was a large chunk of land to the west, separated from the mainland by a channel. That place was called the colonial lands by players, since it was mostly occupied by countries founded purely by players.
The Oljato desert was in the southwest part of that continent, and the Mirage Shrine was somewhere in it, a sacred temple that is impossible to locate with a map. The only way to get there is by using a certain tool called the gyroscopic compass crystal that can point the user in the right direction. Though high level players knew that those crystals could fail every once in a blue moon.
「I know. Apparently, he also was pretty distressed, though he had been in the desert for a while, so he figured he might be close enough to find the shrine by eye, but after wandering around for a while he decided to go back… But he stepped into sand hell, and eventually was entirely sucked into the desert.」
「Sand hell… he really has the worst luck…」
Sand hell was the name given to certain places with quicksand in the Oljato desert. If an adventurer could not get out of it before getting sucked inside, they would be forcefully taken into a dungeon of ruins underground. Mira felt like the adventurer Sero was talking about had the worst luck imaginable as she continued drinking her honey ale.
「I also thought the same and tried comforting him, but he laughed it off and took a yellow chunk from a bag. When I asked what that was, he told me he picked it up after he got through the sand hell. Apparently, it didn’t take him to the underground ruins, but instead to a large city inside a huge opening underground, and everything there shone in a golden color. At first he was confused and couldn’t understand where he was, only staring at that sight. But then a black figure appeared far away and began chasing him. A cold chill ran through his body and he began running away from that shadow, and before he noticed he appeared beside a lake in an oasis. All he could bring as proof from there was that chunk, and after getting it checked it was made out of pure gold. He started calling that place the Golden City, and tried going there again but he never managed to.」
「The Golden City… I really wonder what that black figure was… 」
「Oh, that’s what you’re curious about?」
Hearing that story, Mira was the most curious about that mysterious black figure. It seemed like it had appeared to stop Sero’s friend from entering the Golden City and chased him out, almost like a guardian of some sort.
And when it came to guardians, summoners were the best to deal with them.
「Maybe I could form a contract with it.」
「Ahh I see, so that’s what you want to do.」
Mira’s eyes sparkled at the idea, and when Sero saw them he realized Mira was truly a pure breed summoner. Guardians were a type of spirits that lived in a certain place to protect it. And all spirits were candidates to form contracts with.
「That sounds nice, a Golden City. If I found a place like that I would never have to be hungry again in my life.」
「I wonder if they make golden equipment somewhere?!」
「I wish I could have a golden library too.」
Just like it happened with the floating castle, everyone started talking about their wishes. There was no one stopping them this time, so they all spoke about their desires until lunch was over.
Having enjoyed the rumor talk, Mira and the rest walked out of the inn. The Pure Rabbit was sound asleep in Mira’s embrace.
The street in Hunters Village looked even more lively than before, showing that before, the crowd was not fully formed yet and that the real deal started now.
「Well then, Mira. Let’s meet again sometime.」
「I’ll miss you so much…」
「See you!」
「Goodbye, Mira.」
「Mm, I’m glad we could meet after so long. Take care in your travels.」
Break time was over, so after a short goodbye, Sero and his group returned to the other guards. It was very possible they would randomly meet again somewhere, so the usual feeling of emptiness after someone leaves was absent in Mira as she waved at them, only wondering how they would meet again in the future.
After that Mira looked for a suitable place and summoned Pegasus, mounting on its back and leaving Hunters Village. The lively noises became distant and soon she could only hear the wind and Pegasus’ wings flapping in the air. Below her grasslands stretched out into the horizon, while behind her the sacred tree stood covered in a thin mist.
Her view was filled with the blue sky, her eyes drawn to any large clouds as she went on her way back.
A few hours after they left Hunters Village, Mira was sitting down amidst the grasslands, her back leaned against Pegasus as she looked at the map.
(It should be fine if I present my report tomorrow.)
Having flown every day for long hours, her body had a lot of built-in exhaustion, and her descent to the grasslands to rest had already lasted twenty minutes. The Pure Rabbit was beside her, frantically licking her fingers out of worry.
No matter what she tried, the exhaustion would not leave her, and she figured that even if she returned straight ahead she would arrive at night, so it was best if she took her time to get there.
Seeing how beat up Mira was, Pegasus also moved a bit, surrounding her small frame with its neck. Mira began stroking its neck, seeing how kindly it was treating her, and reclined her body even more while holding the Pure Rabbit in her arms.
「I’m sorry but I have to spend some more time like this.」
Saying that, she completely gave her body onto Pegasus, who moved its wings to cover her. Feeling the pulsing warmth from that, Mira was able to rest easy.
Almost an hour passed after that and Mira woke up from her nap, and she could see many small birds through the white feathers. Noticing Mira was awake, Pegasus spread its wings, and Mira saw birds of multiple colors all taking off at the same time and flying around them. But even with so many of them, none of them chirped, surrounding Pegasus in complete silence. All Mira could hear was the rustling of the wind.
「You gathered quite a number of them again.」
She began stroking Pegasus’ mane, thinking back to the Forest of Praying Children, even though there had been way more animals back then. 「You really are a popular one,」 she laughed. Pegasus seemed to be happy as it neighed, happily rubbing its face on Mira’s bosom. The Pure Rabbit stayed on her lap, looking at her face reservedly.
「It’s okay, I was just a bit tired.」
When Mira explained that, Pegasus replied by neighing loudly. After that, the stillness filling the plain was broken as all the birds began chirping at once. They were all small birds, but since there were so many of them together the sound was rather loud, which helped dispel the remaining lethargy in Mira.
「Everything’s alright now, you don’t have to worry anymore.」
Saying that, Mira lifted the pure rabbit into her arms. The blue rabbit let out happy squeaks as it buried itself in Mira’s bosom.
「I think I’ve spent enough time doing nothing. Let’s take off again, Pegasus.」
Her tiredness and sleepiness gone, Mira stood up, which also made all the birds perched on Pegasus to fly away. She then sat on Pegasus’ back, who slowly rose to its feet.
Birds all around them took off and danced around them before vanishing into the sky. The white-winged horse ran through that mesmerizing sight similar to a rain of petals.
As the sun set, the tourists swarming the plaza in front of the Silver Linked Towers diminished in volume. Mira landed near that plaza, after which Pegasus became much more clingy and Mira had to soothe him for a bit before sending him back. Crossing through the large gate, the nine towers that extended up into the sky came in sight. The Sacred Tree still had a more imposing appearance, but this was still a magnificent scene to behold. Seeing that filled her with a sense of returning home, so she proudly filled her chest with air and walked just a bit faster.
When she reached the Tower of Summoning, she looked to its side and saw the wagon was gone.
(Hmm… guess Creos isn’t home.)
Mira could not wait to flaunt her own customized wagon when she got hers, but she also lowered her gaze a bit. It was best if she only thought about that after it was made, so instead she held the pure rabbit and held it up towards the tower.
「This will be your new home from now on.」
It seemed to understand Mira’s words as it squeaked with excitement, and then Mira carried it with her to her room up in the tower.
She opened her room with the tower’s master key, threw her coat to a couch and placed the pure rabbit on top.
「Stay still for a bit.」
Saying that, Mira quickly ran to the toilet. Soon after the sound of water flowing came from there. Mira walked out of the toilet with a satisfied smile having finished her business, then turned to look at the door leading to the changing room and bathroom.
「Maybe we can relax together there for a while.」
Mira picked the pure rabbit up and seeking the warmth and comfort of a bath she extended a hand to the changing room’s door and opened it.
「Wha-?!」
「Lady Mira, welcome-」
「Sorry!」
Mira quickly shut the door closed out of confusion. Still, her completely unprepared eyes still had the figure of Mariana wearing only underwear imprinted on them. Feelings of guilt started to mix with more colorful ones in her mind, so she quickly put a stop to her brain.
「Lady Mira, welcome home.」
Mariana had been unable to finish her greeting earlier, so she opened the door again without much care and bowed to Mira. She smiled happily after raising her head, her cheeks slightly flushed from the bath, her blue hair slightly bunched together, and her body wrapped in a white robe.
「Mm, I’m back.」
That smile quickly brought Mira back to reality, and after returning the greeting Mariana’s eyes noticed the blue rabbit Mira was holding.
「What’s the story behind that rabbit?」
Mariana looked straight at the rabbit and slowly reached out to it. The pure rabbit seemed slightly hesitant at first, but then it noticed that the divine protection Mira had felt the same as Mariana’s presence, so it nuzzled its head against her hand.
「It followed me from the forest… is it okay if we keep it here?」
Mira’s voice sounded almost like that of a child asking something from her mom. While Mira was the master of the tower, Mariana was in charge of everything while she was gone, so treating her in that way was to be expected.
「But of course. I’ll make sure to take good care of it while you’re gone.」
「I appreciate that a lot, thanks Mariana.」
Some time passed in silence, then Mariana walked into the changing room again and took her robe off.
「Wh-what are you doing..?!」
Mira hurried to look away, resisting her internal urge to peek again. Just beyond the corner of her eyes, Mariana stood in her underwear, just like Mira had seen her earlier, and replied with a highly motivated voice.
「It seemed you were about to take a bath, so I’ll wash your back.」
「…Oh… um… thanks…」
Once Mariana set her mind to help with something, there was no stopping her. Mira had learned that much from her last visit, so she spared her the useless arguing and nodded submissively before walking into the changing room. Things went just like last time, Mariana assisting her with undressing before carefully folding the clothes and adding them to the laundry basket.
「Is there anything else you wish to have washed?」
「Oh right, I almost forgot about that.」
As Mariana placed Mira’s underwear in the basket, the last pieces of clothing she had on, Mariana turned to Mira to ask her. That reminded Mira to take out her own basket, from which she fished out her used underwear before throwing it in the laundry basket.
「That’s all of it, thanks.」
With that, Mira attempted to walk into the bathroom while carrying the pure rabbit, but Mariana stopped her by calling her name.
「What happened to your hair?」
Her tone sounded just a bit harsh as she walked up behind Mira and touched her hair beautifully tied. White had arranged Mira’s hair when she also taught her how to use more Concept Magic.
「Oh, that. This girl called White tied it of her own will while I was traveling.」
「I see…」
Mariana untied her hair, replying with a low voice as she pursed her lips in a slightly bad mood. But Mira was still doing everything she could to avoid looking directly at Mariana, so she did not notice that change.
When Mira entered the bath, Mariana insisted on washing Mira’s hair and every corner of her body. The sponge she used felt softer and smoother than last time, small bubbles and foam covering Mira’s body.
All the exhaustion Mira had built during her travels began to release from that comfortable touch as she fully relaxed her body. Mariana smiled delighted seeing that, slowly letting warm water run down Mira’s body to wash off the foam.
Then it was the pure rabbit’s turn, which both girls took care of together. The rabbit was either used to water or simply did not mind it, so Mira protected its ears as Mariana gently washed its blue fur.
「And that’s it. Lady Mira, do you have any plans for dinner?」
Mariana asked her while arranging Mira’s hair, who combed the pure rabbit’s fur.
「Not yet. Could you make something for me?」
「Of course. I’ll start preparations now, and you can stay here and relax.」
Only when Mariana asked that Mira noticed how empty her stomach felt. Mariana quickly tied Mira’s silver hair before accepting the new request with a melodic voice.
Mira quickly glanced at Mariana walking away in high spirits to prepare dinner, then Mira walked to the center of the large bathroom. There was a bathtub made of black augite there. That was a particular type of stone that reflected light in curious patterns reminiscent of a starry sky, which gave it a prized appearance that attracted many, making it a very high-quality material for furnishings.
She filled that bathtub with warm water before sitting in it, a bit of water overflowing from the edge.
「Now this is heaven…」
The water temperature was a bit higher than usual, which felt like small needles poking slightly at her body. Mira enjoyed that feeling the most, so she let out a satisfied sigh as she rested in the water.
The bathtub was very large and could have fit ten more people even if all of them had their legs outstretched. Mira stretched her limbs as far as she could, the black bathtub increasing the contrast with her body and silver hair.
「Ahh… this is the best.」
She let that sense of freedom permeate her body, holding apple ale in one hand and humming to herself. Mira and the pure rabbit spent an hour of pure bliss there.
