Chapter 08: Here comes the hero!

Splash—

A small boat swiftly sliced through the calm waters.

"Wow, Rylie! At this rate, we'll reach the nearby island in no time!"

As Jis raised his arms and shouted, Rylie's excited voice echoed from the back of the boat.

"Tee hee hee~ Should I speed up a bit?"

Then, at the back of the boat, the little mermaid's tail fins splashed vigorously.

In the lifeboat, Chichi and Longlong sparred intensely.

"The wicked west sea witch! I'll never forgive you!"

Wielding a jagged piece of wood, Chichi lunged at Longlong with the swiftness of the wind.

Whoosh—

However, just in the nick of time, Longlong twisted his body, narrowly evading the attack that came close to his face.

"That's right~! That's how you twist and dodge~!"

Seeing this, Rylie playfully mimicked the move, steering the boat as if performing acrobatics.

"Argh! Rylie! We'll capsize at this rate!"

"Oh~ Sorry, sorry~ Tee hee hee~"

The boat wobbled dangerously, threatening to flip. However, Rylie, quickly regaining her composure, managed to steady it.

Occasionally, the rear of the sailboat lifted and soared, giving the sensation of riding a colossal wave, before settling back down.

* * *

"Jis! Look over there! Can you see it?"

Following the direction of Chichi's outstretched finger above Jis' head, the boy caught sight of the island, which was slowly becoming visible.

While its details were not yet entirely clear, the boy sensed a vast, elongated island shrouded in a light mist.

"Wow...! There's a huge island floating in the sea!"

It wasn't merely an island emerging from the depths; it genuinely appeared to be floating atop the water.

"It's incredible, right? That's Ragsa Island. The massive rocks beneath the island are riddled with cavities, filled with air. That's why it floats. You won't find its exact location on any regular map."

Awooooo—

As Chichi explained, the distant howl of a wolf echoed from a cliff's edge on the far-off island.

Though the fog made it hard to see clearly, a pack of gray wolves could be seen pacing at the cliff's edge, their attention focused on Jis and his group.

But the sheer height and ruggedness of the cliff prevented the wolves from charging at them.

"That startled me! I was worried it was a black wolf again."

Chichi, who had vanished momentarily, reappeared nestled in Longlong's hair, visibly trembling.

"We should be safe for now. That black wolf was swept away by the stormy sea. Do you think it survived?"

Although he tried to shake it off, Jis couldn't forget the chilling memory of the massive zombie wolf's low growl. The image of the black wolf, with its dark red glowing eyes coming dangerously close to his face, was still fresh in his mind.

Longlong clutched the boy's pants and peeked out, as if he too was affected by the eerie recollection.

"Ugh, that gives me the creeps!"

Shivering at the thought, Jis slapped his cheeks with both hands in an attempt to snap out of it and exclaimed, "Look, Chichi! This map is incredible! The waves in the sea are moving as if they're alive!"

"Hmm? Oh, right. I did tell you it was special. Everything has its reasons!" Chichi proudly puffed up his chest, acting as if he hadn't just been startled moments earlier.

"But this map only shows this island. The fog on it is so dense, I can't make out the entire landscape."

"Well, this magic map has its limits. It only displays a 10km radius. Besides, it offers a bird's-eye view in real-time, so some things can't be helped," Chichi explained.

Rylie, who had quietly approached and was now studying the map, chuckled, "Hehe, the island kind of looks like an ugly sweet potato."

"Hey! Could you stop making that weird nasal noise?" Chichi retorted.

"You know, I could easily pop you in my mouth and swallow you right now."

As Rylie and Chichi bickered, Jis identified a suitable spot to dock his boat on the map. Just then, a strong gust of wind cleared some of the fog, revealing a port city on the map's surface.

The island was so vast it could be likened to a continent, and the port city of "Alexandria" was located about a third of the way into it. The city was designed almost like a vast circular breakwater, with a canal stretching from the port deep into the island's heart.

"Rylie! We should head to this port city on the map," Jis called out.

Casting his gaze towards Rylie, he found her about to pop Chichi into her mouth. She hastily withdrew her hand, caught in the act.

"Fine! Rylie will get your ship moving!" she said with a cheerful grin.

With a playful toss, she sent Chichi into a corner of the lifeboat before diving into the sea. In moments, her legs transformed into a mermaid's tail. With powerful strokes, she propelled the boat forward at an impressive speed.

Splash—

Awooooo—

As they sped away, the haunting cry of the wolves on the cliff became fainter, disappearing into the distance.

* * *

Although they sped along with Rylie's help, it still took half a day to reach Alexandria Port.

The harbor, designed in a vast circular shape as if welcoming guests from afar, was bustling with numerous ships and spirited sailors proportional to its size.

The vibrant buildings of the port city were laid out in harmony with this circular port.

"Wow, look at all those ships, Chichi! I think there are hundreds of them in this circular harbor!" Jis exclaimed.

"Why are you so amazed? It's just a harbor," Chichi replied, trying to sound nonchalant, but her eyes were drawn to the majestic sailing ships docked in neat rows.

Longlong, upon arriving at the port, excitedly darted between the ships, taking everything in.

"Huh? Why does everyone here seem so short?"

Rylie's observation was accurate; the inhabitants looked like dwarfs. Even the adults barely reached 150 centimeters in height. Interestingly, their overall body proportions were regular, not like typical dwarfs with shorter limbs. They were simply shorter in stature.

As Chichi flitted about the dock, she mentioned, "We need supplies for our journey. Who knows when the West Sea witch might pursue us again."

"I agree. But I have no money. What do we do?" Jis responded.

"Well, let's explore the city. It's vast, and there's an impressive castle in the distance. I'm sure we'll find work," Chichi suggested.

While Jis and Chichi conversed, Rylie interjected, seemingly uninterested in their plan, "I'm famished from all that swimming."

Longlong looked up at Jis with what appeared to be hunger in his eyes.

"Well then, should we head to a restaurant first?" Jis proposed.

"And how do you plan on dining without money?" Chichi retorted, frustrated with the group's lack of foresight.

"Left, right, left, right!"

Just then, a battalion of soldiers marched into the harbor, capturing everyone's attention.

A man donned in a luxurious tunic with a colorful dragon-patterned cape stepped forward.

"Greetings, heroes! I am William Frank Herbert Plantagenet Longespée, the lord of the port city of Alexandria."

When the lord introduced himself, Rylie laughed playfully and said.

"William F... Why such a lengthy name? Tee hee hee~"

"The name carries the legacy of both my esteemed father, Henry II Plantagenet, and my beloved mother, Longespée. But if it's a mouthful for you, just call me Lord William. Hahahaha~!"

Jis, with a polite nod, responded, "A pleasure to meet you, Lord William."

Jis wasn't sure why they were suddenly treated as heroes, but he felt pleased and a bit proud from the warm welcome.

Without warning, a general clad in vibrant armor, who stood close to the lord, leaned in and whispered audibly,

"My lord! They hardly resemble heroes!"

Taken aback, Lord William swiftly delivered a kick to the general's chin.

"Wataa~!"

The force of the kick sent the general soaring nearly 9m into the air before he plummeted back to the ground.

Thud—

"Silence! If I declare them to be heroes, then heroes they are!"

The lord's fiery red hair was a clear indication of his equally fiery temperament.

The general, who had lain motionless on the ground as if dead, occasionally twitching, abruptly rose to his feet as if snapping back to consciousness.

"Cough~ My apologies... Greetings, heroes! I am General Gareth Grain, responsible for the city's security. Just call me Gareth. Ha. Ha. Ha."

With blood trickling from his nose, General Gareth attempted to mimic Lord William's earlier cheerfulness.

As Lord William fixed a piercing gaze on the general, he pointed to Jis and began to speak.

"Look at this boy! Even though he's still young, he's already similar in physique to us. And isn't there a child here with a bead that radiates a mysterious energy?"

When the lord gazed at Jis and locked eyes with Longlong, the small child also nodded. The lord then exclaimed with conviction.

"And this little fairy here..."

Before he could finish, Chichi puffed up his chest and introduced himself.

"I am the fairy queen, 'Chichi'."

The lord nodded, then turned to Rylie and asked, "And you?"

"Well, I hesitate to brag, but... I'm the mermaid princess from the East Sea. I'm a bit shy about it. Tee hee hee~"

"Indeed! So, treat them with the utmost respect."

With a satisfied gleam in his eye, the lord turned to face the other direction. General Gareth promptly responded with a shout.

"Our lord truly has an extraordinary eye for such things!"

The soldiers, standing at attention, began to applaud enthusiastically.

Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap—

And so, Jis and his group were dubbed the "hero group" that unexpectedly arrived on Ragsa Island.

"Now, I shall personally escort our heroes to the castle."

Lord William led the group of Jis to the canal that linked to the port.

Shortly after, everyone gasped in awe at the sight of the beautiful canal and the gondola floating there.

"Wow, the boat resembles a beautiful cone!"

The gondola, crafted from finely carved wood, was adorned with delicate gold embroideries, making it even more eye-catching.

For a moment, Jis and his group felt as though they were in a mythical land.

With the assistance of the gondolier who steered the gondola, the group of Jis climbed aboard.

Clean water flowed through the canal, with some areas as wide as rivers, and others resembling pathways, giving the impression that the river could spill over into adjacent regions.

They traveled for an hour or two, taking in the nearby views from the gently rocking gondola, and eventually spotted the lord's castle in the distance.

The castle seamlessly blended with the surrounding forests, fortified by grand walls made of well-fired red bricks. Tall towers reached for the skies from within these walls.

Several brick towers came together, evoking images of soaring flames.

The lord, standing at the bow of the gondola, gazed at his castle bathed in the glow of the setting sun and remarked,

"How swiftly the day has passed. I've barely done anything, yet it's already time for dinner. We have esteemed guests today, so I plan on hosting a feast for all. I hope our heroes join with light hearts."

On their first day at Ragsa Island, the group of Jis, now hailed as heroes, attended the lord's banquet.