Traveling west through Askbon was pretty easy, if boring; it was just time-consuming. Since I was in 'enemy' territory, I saved a bit of mana just in case, which slowed my overall speed, but it was fine. It didn't take long before I began smelling the ocean in the air.
'Only two days a travel; I'm making pretty good time.' Taking a deep breath and sniffing the salty air, I faintly smiled, excitement bubbling in my chest as I increased my speed; several minutes later, I spotted the ocean in the distance.
Slowing down, I walked across the sandy shore, looking in both directions in search of a port city. "He said if I go west, and then head North at the shore, I should arrive at a city." Stroking my chin, I glanced to my left, ensuring there was no city before setting off once more, heading north along the shoreline.
Unlike the first half of my travels, the port city actually wasn't too far, only an hour of running until it came into view; taking the stealthy path, I slipped into the city from over the walls, arriving in some back alley, where a pair of couples were going at it.
"Y-You, how dare you, you disgusting Human!" "Ew! B-Babe, he saw me!" Before things could escalate, I bashed their heads together, knocking them unconscious. "Tch, for the record, you've got nothing worthy to look at. Lanky ass Elf." Giving the slim, petite Elf a once-over, I snorted and exited the alley, stepping onto the streets, profusely thanking Michelle's parents for the goddess they gave birth to.
Just like the first time I'd visited, I received hate-filled looks, some even whispering about me, though this time, it seemed arguably worse. 'Probably because you, and I quote, look like a hobo, Master.' 'Oh, we're quoting Trina now? Didn't realize she was a respected scholar.' 'What's a scholar?' Sighing, I rubbed my head, ignoring the gazes and words aimed my way; I've dealt with worse for nearly half a year in Daemon, this wouldn't get a rile out of me.
"Oh, sorry." Accidentally bumping into someone, I glanced at the incredibly curvy Elf, who gave me a disgusted look. "Hey, watch where you're going, fool!" Freezing, I glanced at her, not expecting her to be able to make that deep, rough, masculine voice without opening her mouth, only to feel someone hit my leg. Looking down, I spotted a Dwarf, the person I'd actually bumped into, only to widen my eyes.
"Captain Cinc!?" Furrowing his brows, he skeptically eyed me, not recognizing me. "It's Alexander, you gave me and my lov-wife a trip to Asckbon years ago." "Ohh, Alexander, yeah, I remember you. Tsk, you still owe me some money for my boat." "Like hell I do, you kidnapped my wife and me at sea, don't think I forgot that." "Huh? You wanted to get to Asckbon, and I got you to Asckbon. How's that kidnapping?"
With a twitching expression, I rubbed my face, not in the mood to argue with him. "Whatever, listen, you know anything about a ship heading to Mezcla?" "If you're asking me to take you, then I refuse. I can't leave my wife, not when she's pregnant." Glancing at the female Elf, she blushed slightly and averted her gaze while Cinc smirked and kissed her hand.
"Hell no. I just want to ask if you know the ship stopping at Mezcla; figured I'd ask given your background." Grumbling quietly, he snorted before gesturing behind him to the docks. "Yeah, there's one, a trading ship, leaving in a few hours; you're too late, though, they trade ships won't accept passengers this late out."
"That's fine, thanks anyway. Good luck with the child." Waving at Cinc, I walked away, leaving him alone with his incredibly curvy Elven wife. 'Looks like he finally found a sexy, fat-assed Elf.'
Heading towards the docks, I stood there, rubbing the bridge of my nose. "I forgot to ask him which ship… Whatever, I'll just wait until they set sail and board it then." Muttering softly, I found a bench and waited, spending a few hours chatting and arguing with Zartha and Trina.
When the sun reached its peak, a ship finally disembarked from the dock, setting sail into the vast sea. "Finally, I was about to lose my mind trying to teach Trina." 'Hey, I'm a good student, Master!' "Sure." Pushing off my knees, I stood up, stretching a little before leaping into the air, using [Air-Step] to follow the ship before stealthily landing in the crow's nest, no one noticing me.
"Now, I just lie back and relax." Crossing my legs, I leaned back against the wood and closed my eyes, napping as the waves became a familiar, even slightly comforting, sensation.
However, it seemed I was on a coaster of luck, one moment it was good, and the next it was bad. I was awoken not by a guard or sailor who happened to find me, not even by pirate attacks, but by a violent storm and a turbulent ocean.
Hitting my head against the wood, I snapped my eyes open, instantly gazing at the hailstorm happening above. I'd covered myself with Trina in advance, mainly to block out the sun, but it had also stopped me from being pelted with hail, which also prevented me from awakening. Yet because of that, it stopped me from helping a bit earlier.
"Haa, c'mon man. The ship should be fine; they should've had precautions for this." Yawning, I stood up, grabbing Trina as I glanced over the edge, only for me to see utter chaos. Sailors were hiding under barrels, the captain was nowhere to be seen, the hired guards were stupidly attacking the falling hail, and no one was manning the helm; then again, given this weather, it wouldn't make a difference, but still.
'You're shitting me, right?' Sighing in defeat, I observed everything, only to widen my eyes when I saw a sailor fall overboard. "Fuck!" I lunged downwards, shooting towards the sailor; clutching onto the hull, I grabbed the sailor just before submerging into the ocean. Unfortunately, life felt like teasing me as just the sailor's foot was touching the water.
"T-Thank you!" "Dammit." With [Heroes Gaze], I could already see the vast number of monsters zeroing in on our location; tossing the sailor onto the deck, I pulled myself up and unsheathed Trina and Zartha just as a massive piranha-like monster smashed the ship in half from underneath.
"Just once! Just once, I ask for a normal fucking journey across the ocean!" Shouting to the heavens, I swung Zartha, launching a [Void Blade] as I cut the fish in half while the two halves of the ship collided into the water, slowly sinking. However, those fish monsters were just the beginning.
"Ahhh, you think third times the charm!? Then come at me, dammit!" Leaping, I lunged at the massive octopus monster that emerged from the ocean.
___
___
Two Weeks Later
Lying down, balancing on the broken mast that drifted through the sea, I gazed at the sky, only to hit something, causing me fall into the ocean, though it was more sand than actual ocean. Groaning, I slowly rose to my feet, gazing at the shore I washed upon.
Turning around, I looked out into the ocean and gave it the middle finger. "Fuck you." Spitting, I turned back around, heading further inland; I didn't even know if this was Mezcla, it could've been Nesmo for all I knew.
"Please, let this be Mezcla… I can't handle another ocean journey."
___
___
7 Days Later
Walking through Cassandra, I headed past the residential and business district, entering the noble district a few minutes later, arriving before the gates of my estate. Stopping just outside, I sighed, one of exhaustion and relief; stepping into my estate, I closed the gate and walked to the manor.
"Um, excuse me, Sir, you can't be here." Glancing at the head maid, who was giving me a disguised, disgusted look, I wryly smiled. "Can't recognize me?" "Sir, please leave. I'll be forced to alert the guards." "Damn, I must look hideous… It's fine, don't worry."
"Sir! Stop, you must leave! Stop! Guards! Guards!" Unfortunately for her, I never hired any guards for my estate. 'Hmm, I probably should, though.' Scratching my beard, which still had sand in it, I stepped onto the porch and entered the manor while the head maid followed me closely, constantly trying to stop me but too disgusted to touch me.
"Hey, I'm home!" Yelling, I waited a few moments, expecting to be rushed at by a nearly ten-foot, eight-hundred-pound Oni, except none of that happened; hell, I didn't even hear the lighter feet of my other wives.
"Um, where is everyone? Yuki, Michelle, Lazuli, Jasmine, Chloe, Vanye? Where are they?" "H-How do you know about them?" Glancing at the head maid, she furrowed her brows in confusion, only for her eyes to widen. "P-Purple, crystal eyes. C-COUNT ALEXANDER!?" "Ah, finally, you remember."