“Me?”
The corners of Hera's mouth curled upward uncontrollably, a smile spreading across her face; clearly, Xia Nan's words had resonated with her.
“You certainly think highly of me.”
“To be honest, while I did receive an invitation from them many years ago, you know that it was impossible for me to attend.”
“And since then, I have been excluded from the guest list of their ‘Moon-Tide Feast.’”
Hera's identity was that of the owner of the “Three-Legged Sea Dog” tavern and one of the largest intelligence brokers in Spearfish Bay. Between the channels left by her father and her own years of diligent management, she maintained certain relationships with many powers across the Southern Archipelago.
Under these circumstances, while she might say otherwise in secret, on the surface, the intricate web of relationships between those powers required her to maintain a stance of absolute neutrality.
Once she leaned in any direction, it could easily lead to the severance of certain channels or even enmity with the powers behind them.
The “Moon-Tide Feast” attended by “Algae-Scale” Dodd might have been vast in scale, but frankly, the fact that even a kingdom-wanted criminal like him could be invited spoke volumes about the complexity of the guest list.
If Hera had attended, she could have certainly expanded her channels in the Southern Archipelago, but it would have carried a significant risk of impacting the network of relationships she had already established in Spearfish Bay.
Despite her ambition, after weighing the pros and cons at the time, she had made the safer choice.
“However...”
Hera suddenly shifted her tone.
Her emerald eyes blinked, a meaningful glint flashing within them.
After a period of contact, she knew that the black-haired youth before her was emotionally reserved and rarely revealed his inner thoughts, so she stopped playing coy and gave him her proposal directly.
“I actually do know someone who just recently received an invitation to the ‘Moon-Tide Feast.’”
“If you wish, I can introduce her to you.”
“Of course, whether she is willing to take you along, or what kind of reward she will demand, is up to you.”
Having understood the meaning behind the tavern owner's words, the expression on Xia Nan's face did not change much despite the breakthrough in his plan to find the key to the 【Dream-Weaving Corridor】. After a moment of contemplation, he raised his head and looked at the woman across the table with the smiling lips and dark green hair.
“And... the price?”
“How much payment do I need to provide for this introduction?”
Having likely planned this in her mind already, Xia Nan's question did not surprise Hera; she even casually raised her wine glass for another sip.
Then, she replied with a light laugh
“Hehe, no need to be so serious, it's just a transaction.”
“I will introduce you to this connection who can take you to the ‘Moon-Tide Feast,’ and the payment for the intelligence regarding ‘Algae-Scale’ Dodd from earlier can be bundled in. I won't charge an extra fee.”
“In return, I need you to do something for me.”
As expected...
Knowing the other party had a plan, Xia Nan remained calm on the surface, though his thoughts raced.
Without replying, he simply gazed at her quietly.
“Don't worry, it's nothing difficult.”
“If you're lucky, you'll be back in a few days. You might not even need to unsheathe those two longswords on your back.”
“I need you to help me deliver a shipment of goods.”
...
...
*Swish...*
The sheer curtains by the window swayed and drifted.
The sound of tides crashing against the reefs mingled with the clamor of crowds from the distant harbor, surging into the warm room carried by the slightly salty sea breeze.
Fully armed, Xia Nan stood by the desk. He held the 【Honey-Orange】 short blade high, squinting as he carefully examined it against the sunlight streaming through the window.
With a slight twist of his wrist, the sharp edge of the pink crystal refracted a glass-like, translucent luster under the sunlight, casting a dazzling pink glow onto the mattress behind him.
This trophy from the priest of Horn Town had mediocre attributes; there was almost nothing commendable about it other than its toughness.
But it had to be admitted that its appearance was truly exquisite.
When Xia Nan first got his hands on it, he had even been reluctant to use it as a skinning knife to cut trophy materials; it felt uncomfortable to see the gorgeous, translucent blade stained with blood, though he eventually grew accustomed to it.
After enjoying the view in the sunlight for a while, he slid 【Honey-Orange】 back into the leather sheath at his waist.
At this moment, three days had passed since the trip to the casino.
For the sake of the 【Dream-Weaving Corridor】 key, he had agreed to the deal with Hera, acting as a guard to help her transport a batch of goods.
Today was the day of departure.
Three days was neither long nor short.
For a newcomer like Xia Nan, who had only recently arrived in Spearfish Bay, the most he could do was familiarize himself with the environment or inquire about some relatively unimportant intelligence.
He had originally thought about finding a blacksmith to try and repair 【Purgatory Pulse】.
This fine (green) quality equipment, forged by “Rock-Hammer” Barn using purgatory steel and other special materials, had been damaged during the battle with the priest in Horn Town; the iron plate near the chest had a noticeable dent.
However, after inquiring, he learned that to fully repair this armor, gold coins were one thing, but more importantly, it would take at least a week.
Xia Nan was about to set sail to escort Hera's goods; if he wanted it repaired, he would have to leave the armor at the blacksmith's shop.
Given that the equipment in the shop was only of common quality and enchanted gear required even more time for customization, he decided to make do with it for now and deal with it after returning from the mission.
The grade and material of 【Purgatory Pulse】 were what they were; even with damage, its defensive performance still far exceeded the standardized equipment produced from the same mold on the blacksmith's shelves.
It was more than enough to handle general combat.
Standing still, his dark eyes shifting slightly, Xia Nan scanned the room.
Having lived here for three days, this high-end guest room in the “Three-Legged Sea Dog” tavern—costing “2 silver coins/night”—showed a few more traces of living than when he first checked in.
The curved arched window facing the sea was open. Between the swaying double-layered sheer curtains, the distant, shimmering sea appeared as clear and dazzling as a blue-green gemstone, with ships coming and going and seagulls circling and crying overhead.
The floor was covered with a woven rug from the eastern continent, and the walls were adorned with decorative two-handed swords, paintings of star compasses, and nautical charts of the nearby waters.
In the center of the room stood a massive four-poster bed large enough for three people to sleep in, its dark oak posts carved with exquisite spiral patterns and draped with indigo curtains.
He was certainly living the high life.
Since crossing over, this was the first time Xia Nan had stayed in such a high-end room.
But it had to be admitted that the price of two silver coins a night was indeed worth it.
Regarding this, on his first day after checking in, he had slept for six full, undisturbed hours on the soft, comfortable large bed, fully recovering his mental and physical strength. The moment he climbed out of bed bleary-eyed and saw that vast, azure sea outside the window, he had already certified the value.
In his previous life, a sea-view room of this caliber during peak season would likely cost four digits, or even over ten thousand, for a single night.
In Spearfish Bay, however, the bounty of one and a half goblins was enough to stay comfortably for two nights.
Compared to customized enchanted equipment that often cost hundreds or thousands of gold, Xia Nan finally had a renewed sense of the purchasing power of the eight hundred plus gold coins he carried.
Finally, he checked one last time to ensure nothing was left behind.
Xia Nan picked up the luggage he had prepared by the entrance, pushed open the door, and walked toward the tavern lobby.
...
Just as he arrived at the lobby of the “Three-Legged Sea Dog” tavern, a crisp, enthusiastic, and spirited voice called out from a window-side table nearby.
Halfling Alton was waving vigorously in Xia Nan's direction.
He was chewing something, making his voice sound a bit muffled, and in his waving palm, he tightly held a half-peeled honey-orange.
“Over here, Xia Nan! Over here!”
Nodding, Xia Nan greeted Hera behind the bar.
He walked over to Alton, set down his luggage, and sat opposite him.
“The honey-oranges here really are much sweeter than the ones I've tasted before, hehe, I was right!”
Alton peeled the orange in his hand triumphantly, while simultaneously tilting his chin toward the table filled with food in front of him to signal Xia Nan.
“Yesterday, I asked the chef in the tavern's kitchen about their recipe for cream of mushroom soup. It really is different from the one in River Valley Town. I heard the mushrooms used are specifically gathered from caves along the coast; the taste is much saltier than those from the forest...”
“Oh, right! While I was wandering around town the day before yesterday, besides those two food shops I told you about, I found a shop that specializes in furniture. I heard many wealthy people from the White Cliff district go there for customizations, I...”
Having long grown accustomed to Alton's boundless curiosity and enthusiasm for everything, Xia Nan instinctively filtered out the useless information in the other's speech and extracted the key points.
His gaze swept across the tabletop.
Knowing they were about to set sail and likely wouldn't get such a feast on the open sea, Alton had ordered an entire table of dishes.
Among them was, naturally, the cream of mushroom soup with a unique seafood flavor—having spent much time together, this attentive and kind halfling had long since remembered Xia Nan's preferences.
It seemed to have just been served, as fragrant, steaming white vapor rose from the soup.
Despite it being early morning, it didn't feel cloying at all. Squinting his eyes, Xia Nan picked up the spoon and began to enjoy it.
Three days ago, when he was discussing intelligence regarding the “Moon-Tide Feast” with the tavern owner Hera, Alton had also been present.
Unsurprisingly, he had developed an interest in this large-scale banquet event held during the Sea Rhythm Festival.
Immediately after Xia Nan accepted Hera's commission, Alton had asked if he could tag along.
Of course, he couldn't refuse.
Setting aside other reasons, based solely on the fact that the halfling was one of Xia Nan's few close friends, he was willing to satisfy the other's wish as long as safety was guaranteed.
Moreover, Alton himself was a divine favorite of the 【Goddess of Luck】, Tymora.
To put it bluntly, even if this little guy had zero combat ability and served purely as a mascot for the party, Xia Nan would still bring him along.
The three exaggerated and impressive experiences of using the 【Coin of Fate】 had given Xia Nan a full understanding of the invisible and intangible phenomenon known as “luck.”
Having a divine favorite like Alton by his side was equivalent to entering the sight of the Smiling Lady.
And as long as that existence above the divine kingdoms gave a gentle wink, “good luck” would descend accordingly.
This was a temptation that no adventurer on the continent of Ephara could resist.
To some extent, perhaps this was exactly why Hera had specifically discussed the “Moon-Tide Feast” with Xia Nan in front of the halfling.
If the escort party could include someone with a close connection to the legendary 【Destined Gambler】 “Arin,” the journey would undoubtedly be much smoother.
Alton's personality was lively yet meticulous, and the racial traits of halflings gave him an extremely strong sense of responsibility toward his friends.
Even though Xia Nan had agreed to his request, it was impossible for him to just do nothing and enjoy the ride, waiting for the other to complete the commission before heading to the “Moon-Tide Feast.”
Naturally, he also became a member of this escort mission.
Thinking of this, Xia Nan's expression suddenly became a bit strange.
He remembered that the first time he met the other party was also during a caravan escort commission, although things had become a bit complicated afterward.
Right now, it gave him an indescribable sense of déjà vu.
Did that also mean this mission...
While he was pondering, the sound of footsteps approached from the side.
Seaweed-like dark green hair was simply tied behind her head, with stray locks swaying gently by her temples.
Hera glanced at the halfling Alton on the other side of the table, then her gaze landed on Xia Nan, a smile appearing at the corners of her mouth
“Well, are you all ready?”
“Don't worry, the people I've hired are old friends I've collaborated with for many years. They are experienced sailors; if you have any questions regarding matters at sea, just find them. They're very reliable.”
She leaned over slightly, took a honey-orange from a plate on the table, and peeled it casually.
“Today's meal is on me, eat your fill.”
“Once you reach the port, just give my name. The person in charge there will arrange everything for you on the ship.”
Having already communicated the specific details of the cargo escort with the two of them, Hera was now giving the final instructions before departure.
Knowing that both Xia Nan and Alton were experienced adventurers, she didn't feel the need to say much more.
After mentioning a few more precautions, the tavern owner bid them farewell and returned behind the bar.
Sending the last spoonful of cream of mushroom soup into his mouth, Xia Nan squinted, savoring the lingering fresh sweetness on the tip of his tongue. He raised the glass beside him and drained the remaining bit of lemonade.
Xia Nan looked at the halfling Alton, who had already finished eating and was curiously observing the pedestrians passing by outside the window.
“So, do you have anything else to prepare, or should we just...”
Alton turned his head with a grin and jumped off the wooden chair with high spirits.
“Depart, depart!”
(End of Chapter)