Chapter 25

"Haa, oma, ta... se...! Haa, haa..."

When I ran to the South Gate leading out of town, Frey, Luna, Reina, and Torte were already waiting, fully prepared. Unlike them, who seemed completely at ease, I was out of breath from running.

Seeing me like this, Frey laughed.

"You must have had a tough time with the discussion with the guild master, right? We should have left tomorrow after a day off..."

"I understand that I need to get back to my sister as soon as possible, so it's fine. I'll recover quickly with a short rest."

More importantly, I need to deliver the 'Drops of Paradise' I collected from the 'Erngore Herb Garden' to my sick sister.

When I said this, Torte smiled and said, "Thank you, nya." Then, Frey explained the schedule to me, as I had never been to the Ketsi village.

"From here, we'll head south and stay at the 'Village of Ranches' tonight. We'll continue south and take a boat to Torte's village. If we arrive late, we'll stay one more night at the 'Port Town of Tordente' near the dock and leave the next day."

"Understood."

...I didn't know the Ketsi village was on an island.

Recalling the game's world map, there was indeed a field called the 'Secret Dock' to the south. Many players had investigated this area, thinking it must contain something, but they found nothing. I never imagined there was such a secret...

After a brief discussion, we left through the South Gate. This area is called the 'Entrance to the Holy City,' where weak monsters like 'Pururu' and 'Flower Rabbits' can be found.

I thought we would head straight south, but Frey and the others turned right. After walking a bit, we came to a stable.

The stable was a large area enclosed by a fence, where horses were living comfortably. There were various horses, from a white horse fit for a prince to a sturdy black horse that could carry three adults.

"Sharon, can you ride a horse?"

"Uh..."

Caught off guard by the sudden question, I hesitated. In the game, I had used horses as a means of transportation, but I had never ridden one in reality. Cold sweat trickled down my back.

"I hope I can ride...?"

"Alright. You'll ride behind me."

Hearing my uncertain answer, Frey made a quick decision. Given our urgency, there was no time to confirm my ability. "Thank you," I said sincerely and decided to ride with Frey.

There are several means of transportation in this world.

One of them is riding animals like horses. Horses are the cheapest and can be rented in towns and villages. Alternatively, you can summon a contracted creature to ride, which includes not only horses but also monsters like 'Pegasi' and 'Thunder Wind Birds.' Since they are contracted, they can be ridden without any issues.

After we agreed, Torte went to the stable to arrange the horse rental. We rented three horses: I rode with Frey, Luna and Torte shared one, and Reina rode alone for better mobility.

The horse I rode with Frey was a large black one with sharp eyes. Despite carrying both of us, it remained steady, giving me a sense of security. I had always wanted to get a summoning item, but it seemed I should start by learning to ride a horse.

***

We stayed at the 'Village of Ranches' for the night and set out for the 'Secret Dock' the next morning.

Following the road south, we would move one space west and then continue south to reach the dock. With the horses, we should arrive in a few hours.

"Still, the wind feels great because the horses are so fast!"

"Sharon, you should practice riding more."

"I'll work hard when we get back to Tzile. Being able to ride a horse makes a big difference. I want to gallop through many places and enjoy the scenery."

I want to ride through all the fields and, if possible, make a summoning contract with a bird-like monster to enjoy the view from the sky. Just thinking about it makes me excited.

While enjoying the scenery and humming a tune, Frey suddenly said, "We're almost there." Looking around, I saw a town to our right and a small dock ahead.

"Reina, please scout ahead just in case!"

"Okay!"

Reina increased her speed and quickly disappeared from sight.

Reina returned before we caught up. I was impressed by her efficiency as the scout of the hero party. However, her expression wasn't good, suggesting there might be a problem.

...But that map shouldn't have any particularly strong monsters. There's only a mid-boss called 'Duckling with a Child,' a duck-like monster, but it's not very strong. A skilled player could take it down with one hit.

"Reina, how was it?"

"The timing was bad. There was a 'Duckling with a Child' nearby."

—It seems my understanding was off again. I thought it wasn't a significant threat, but it wasn't the case.

Indeed, Duckling can summon ducklings over time, making it troublesome if not dealt with quickly.

"I see. ...Well, if we're lucky, we might get some Duckling meat to bring back to Tarte."

With that, Frey increased the horse's speed, and the others followed. It was still mid-afternoon, so the conditions were good for battle. I cast support spells on everyone.

Soon, we spotted the Duckling. It had a white body and a yellow beak, with a tuft of hair on its forehead and a bow tie around its neck, holding a cane. It looked rather endearing. Several ducklings were following behind. According to some, these ducklings are not children but subordinates, as they can be summoned to attack over time.

We needed to finish the fight quickly to avoid being overwhelmed by ducklings.

"Let's go! Frey, give it your best shot! 'Goddess's Strike'!!"

"What is this skill? I feel so much power..."

Frey's eyes widened in surprise at the surge of power.

This skill, 'Goddess's Strike,' appears when you reach level 5 in 'Body Enhancement' and doubles the damage of your next attack. It's very useful for powerful moves.

As we approached the Duckling, Frey said, "I'll take care of it," and jumped off the horse to attack the Duckling.

"Eh?"

I never expected to be left on the horse, so I panicked and grabbed the reins. But I had never ridden alone before, and I had been content just riding behind Frey...

"Oh no, oh no, oh no!! Horse! Stop!!"

Should I pull the reins? The horse neighed and reared up.

"Ah!"

I congratulated myself for not being thrown off. Clinging to the reins, I had no idea how to stop the horse...

Just as I was about to cry, I heard, "Sorry to keep you waiting." Frey had returned, gracefully mounting the horse behind me and stopping it with expert rein handling. Wow, he looked so cool.

"Sorry, are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

I smiled, and Frey nodded. When we dismounted, the Duckling was gone. Torte was collecting the dropped items, so it seemed they had defeated it while I was struggling with the horse...

"Done, nya! Duckling meat is delicious, so we'll have a feast tonight, nya."

"That sounds great."

Torte put the items in her backpack and stood up, looking satisfied. Duckling meat... hmm, I'm looking forward to it, but also a bit nervous...

As I calmed down, I heard the sound of waves. Looking ahead, I saw a vast sea.

"Wow, so beautiful!"

The sea water was a clear, emerald-greenish blue, sparkling in the sunlight. Fish occasionally jumped out of the water, creating splashes. In the distance, the horizon was visible. The sandy beach was white, dotted with coral and shell fragments, and there were crabs and hermit crabs.

However, I couldn't see the dock anywhere and tilted my head in confusion. How would we get to the Ketsi village?

"Over here, nya."

As I was wondering, Torte started walking. We led the horses along the beach. After about 30 minutes, we reached a cave.

...Ah, I don't really like this cave because of the bats and water bugs... To be honest, I don't want to go in.

Seeing my troubled expression, Torte walked past the cave. There shouldn't be anything beyond it. As I followed, Torte squatted down a bit further in.

"...?"

Was there something? Curious, I peered in and saw that the cave wall had been dug out in the shape of paw prints.

...I wouldn't have noticed this!

When Torte placed her hand on the paw prints, the rock rumbled and opened. The hole, about 100 cm high, was probably the size of a Ketsi. I would have to crouch to fit through.

Torte unloaded the luggage from the horses and touched a magic device on their halters, which would send them back to the stable. After sending the horses away, Torte raised her hand.

"Everyone, follow me, nya."

With that, Torte entered the hole.

I took a deep breath and looked back. The view was of the emerald-green sea and the faint outline of an island. Thinking about the scenery I might see in the Ketsi village made me excited.

With a chest full of anticipation, I followed Torte and the others.