Since ancient times, cities nearer to the center of a country flourish more than cities near the border. Of course, there are exceptions based on strategic value, but Ramos wasn’t one of them. Nevertheless, it had a certain geographical advantage by being located on a cape, a landmass that stretched into the sea.
Yes, Ramos was one of the few port cities in the middle of the wide central continent. The area was too narrow to be used as a strategic point, but it was in a prime location for sea-based transportation. Furthermore, it was also famous for being a shortcut to the eastern part of the continent. As such, Ramos had developed to a vibrant metropolis despite being on the edge of the kingdom.
The day began in its usual manner.
“Hey, the youngest! Open the door at once!”
“Yes! I understand!”
The youngest guard assigned for the day, Hanson, ran toward the pulley controlling the gate. As with any city, Ramos closed their gates at night. The city was quite a distance from any dangerous habitats, but there was no harm in being careful. Every morning, the gates would open at sunrise.
Dururuk… Dururuk…
Hanson started to heave on the pulley. The walls weren’t very high, so the gates didn’t need to be raised very high, but this was usually a task for a couple of soldiers. However, sending a rookie to do the job was one of the Ramos guard hazing rituals.
“Kuoong…!”
Unsurprisingly, Hanson’s face flushed red, but he couldn’t open the gate. However, the senior guards whistled as they watched the gate shudder. It seemed their new rookie was rather strong.
But that relaxed expression didn’t last long.
“Uh, who’s that?”
“What? How long until they arrive?”
“They’re coming pretty fast. Based on the dust cloud, it is a small but pretty high-end carriage?”
The guards watched the horizon from the walls every day, so their eyesight was similar to that of a good hunter. They had quickly noticed a carriage coming in from the west. It wasn’t rare for guests to arrive at sunrise, but it was rather surprising to them that the carriage was coming so quickly.
“W-What? Why is it so fast?!” The veteran guards hurried down the wall.
A high-end carriage meant the guest was a noble or from a top business company. They were no longer concerned with hazing the rookie, and quickly joined the exhausted Hanson in turning the pulley.
Durururuk…!?
The gate shot upward just in time as Theo’s party neared the gate. The guards grew even more nervous as they took in the carriage.
“H-Heok!”
“Blood…?!”
The carriage looked like it had survived a battlefield. Theo turned to look at the forest they had just passed through. He could still sense the thousands of undead slowly crawling through it.
Dammit, it was much more annoying than the first night.
Theo had remained vigilant after killing that warlock, but he hadn’t sensed anything. The other warlock had seemingly been hidden a few kilometers away, since it had evaded Hugin’s detection. The warlock had decided to devote his energies in hindering Theo’s carriage, and sent countless low grade undead after him.
In the end, Theo and Randolph had to give up on fighting the undead and just concentrated on breaking through.
Thud.
One of the horses collapsed where he stood between the carriage shafts.
“… I am really sorry.”
Theo had repeatedly used Haste and fatigue recovery magic on the horses, drawing well beyond their strength. The other horse was only still barely standing. If the mad dash had lasted even a quarter of an hour longer, it would’ve died as well. Theo used simple magic to bury the horse that died, and then turned towards the nervous guards.
Theo had a convenient excuse to avoid any questions.
“I’m from the Polonell Company.”
That line, along with the plaque, were enough to make the Ramos guards step out of the way.
***
“We’ll split up here.”
“Yes, I’ll see you at the port later.”
The two already knew what needed doing. Randolph would dispose of the wrecked carriage and remaining horse, while Theo would find a ship heading toward the Soldun Kingdom.
I hope we can leave today.
He had made it to the city, but it wouldn’t be enough to stop the Orcus Company from attacking. Theo and Randolph had outrun the rabble, but if two undead on the level of the death knight showed up, they would be hard pressed.
The Doom Wight had been acutely vulnerable to Theo and Gluttony, but it would’ve been fatal for Randolph if he had been alone. The force behind the Orcus Company was much stronger than expected, so he needed to escape that power as quickly as possible.
However, the answers Theo heard weren’t optimistic.
“There are no ships left?”
“Yes, I’m sorry, but they are all booked…”
It was a mistake Theo made because he had never seen the sea or a ship in his life.
“It will be similar even if you ask another shipping company.”
Basically, all the ships were booked. There was an obvious limitation to the number of guests a boat could hold, and it was difficult to show flexibility, unlike traveling over land. Moreover, he was looking for a ship heading to another country.
There were occasions when there was a vacancy, but luck wasn’t on Theo’s side this time.
He eventually found Belf, a member of Luere Shipping.
“Most ships this time of year are going to the south or north, so there are only three ships heading to Soldun Kingdom. If you book now, you will probably have to wait a month.”
“Even for someone from a top company?”
Belf’s eyes narrowed as he saw the plaque.
“Oho, you’re from the Polonell Company.”
However, Belf didn’t hesitate to shake his head. Despite Theo’s status and money, there were really no places left.
The Polonell Company’s name wasn’t as influential among seafaring merchants, since they mostly traded along land routes. Unfortunately, as a port city, Ramos dealt mostly in sea trade.
Theo bit his lip at being blocked in an unexpected place.
If I can’t get a ship here… Do I need to obtain a carriage and run to the western border? No, it is tough due to the time spent here. I also need a carriage good enough to break through the undead’s siege… Should I go into hiding?
He was cornered. Theo’s expression was grim as he tried to think of a solution. Although he had the knowledge, brains and experiences of several great people, Theo was still young. Veronica would’ve overcome this adversity with her strength, while Vince would have booked a ship in a port city from the very beginning.
It was at this moment that…
“Umm… Did you say your name was Theo?”
“Ah, yes.”
“As I said, finding passage on a normal ship is impossible. However, it might be possible with a special ship.”
The depressed Theo looked up sharply. “Special ship?”
He could pay no matter how much the extra charge was. The duel bid had spared his wallet, so he had plenty of funds.
However, instead of explaining, Belf placed a finger to his lips. “However, there are two conditions.”
“What are they?”
“First, you must agree to maintain the confidentiality of the ship. You will know the secret after boarding.”
“… I understand.”
Theo wanted to complain, but he wasn’t in a position to be picky. He needed to fend off the pursuers and arrive at Soldun Kingdom. As long as he could achieve his purpose, Theo didn’t care about the surprise.
Belf then told him the second condition. In some ways, this one was expected.
“Then I need a deposit.” ｂ𝚍ｎｏｖ𝚕．ｃｏｍ
“Do you mean I have to pay extra?”
“No, not that.”
Theo looked confused, making Belf smile and whisper loudly, “Is there someone in the group other than you?”
“Yes, two people including me.”
“Then twenty gold. If you pay ten gold each, you will know why eventually.”
Did he mean the rest of the money would be collected after boarding? Theo tried to ask, but Belf was adamant that he couldn’t explain any more.
Che, it can’t be helped.
Theo really didn’t have a choice, so he accepted Belf’s offer. He handed over twenty gold coins and received two boarding passes. Thanks to the bronze mark of the Luere Company, it was difficult to make counterfeits of the boarding pass. Perhaps this wasn’t a one-time thing.
“I will arrange a room for two people. The departure time is this evening.”
Theo looked down with a worried expression and asked Belf something he had almost forgotten, “How long will it take to get to Soldun Kingdom? I heard that we can arrive as early as four days.”
“Ah, I’m sorry. My explanation was a little bad.” Belf scratched his head. “The ship makes a little detour, so it will take more than a week. Do you have any urgent business?”
“… No, it’s okay.” Theo thought for a moment before putting the two boarding passes away. The most important thing was getting rid of the pursuers from the Orcus Company, not arriving at Soldun Kingdom quickly.
The advantage of going by sea was that he didn’t need to be worried about raids from the warlocks. The zombies, ghouls, and other low level undead couldn’t withstand the pressure of the sea currents or the sea creatures.
However, Theo was skeptical about the special nature of this ship.
Let’s meet Randolph and tell him the news.
Theo left Luere Shipping and went on his way to meet up with Randolph. As the leader of a mercenary group active in the central continent, Randolph might know what this special ship was all about.