The Book Eating Magician Chapter 138:
Chapter 138 – Unusual Passenger Ship (1)
Since ancient times, cities had flourished nearer to the center of the country and declined as they moved further away . Of course, some cities close to the border had a strategic value, but Ramos wasn’t one of them .
Nevertheless, Ramos had a geographical advantage . It was part of the coastline called a ‘cape,’ a terrain which stretched from land to sea .
It was a port city . 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 there were no problems with transportation using the sea route . Furthermore, it was also famous for being a shortcut to the eastern part of the continent .
For these reasons, Ramos evolved into a level comparable to that of other metropolitan cities, 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 today, Hanson, ran toward the pulley controlling the gate .
As with any city, Ramos controlled any night time admissions by locking the gate . It was a considerable distance from the habitat of the nearest creatures, but there was no harm in being careful . Then in the morning, the gate would open as the sun rose .
Dururuk…dururuk…
Hanson arrived at the pulley and started opening the gate with his thick arms . The walls weren’t very high, so the gate wasn’t that big, but a few soldiers were supposed to open the gate together . Yet he was being asked to open it on his own . This was the hazing style of the Ramos guards .
“Kuoong…!”
Unsurprisingly, Hanson’s face flushed red, but he couldn’t open the gate . However, he had considerable strength for a human who couldn’t use aura . The senior guards, who were watching him, whistled as they were startled that a fairly good newbie had entered .
But that relaxed expression didn’t last long .
“Uh, who is coming from over there?”
“What? How long until they arrive?”
“They’re coming soon . Based on the dirt, 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 noticed the presence of a carriage coming from the western horizon and quickly determined the identity of the approaching carriage .
It was okay up to here as it wasn’t rare for guests to come early in the morning . However, the problem was that the speed of the carriage was more than imagined .
“W-What? Why is it so fast?!” The veteran guards belatedly noticed the seriousness of the situation and hurried down the wall .
A high-end wagon meant the guest was a noble or from a top business company . It wasn’t a situation where they could be late because they were hazing the newbie . Hanson, who was already exhausted, kept turning the pulley firmly with his seniors .
Durururuk…! The gate opened at a super fast speed . Shortly afterwards, Theodore’s party stopped in front of the gate . The guards, who had passed through the crisis, became nervous again as they saw the carriage .
“H-Heok!”
“Blood marks…?!”
It was impossible to find the original appearance of the carriage, which had been shiny at the time of purchase . The carriage looked as if it had passed through the middle of a battlefield . This was natural . Theodore turned away from the surprised guards toward the forest they had just passed through . There were still thousands of undead inside .
‘Dammit, it was much more annoying than the first night . ’
After killing the warlock who attacked first, Theo had been vigilant but hadn’t seen any shadows at all .
To be hidden from Hugin’s detection, the other warlock must be hiding a few kilometers away . In the meantime, their purpose of trying to stop the carriage had been revealed . It was why the enemies only used low grade undead, unlike on the first day .
In the end, Theo and Randolph gave up on fighting the undead and just concentrated on breaking through .
Flop .
Finally, one of the horses started foaming and collapsed to the ground .
“…I am really sorry . ”
Theo had repeatedly used Haste and fatigue recovery magic on the horses, which meant the aftermath was terrible . The other horse was just barely standing . It would’ve died as well if it had run a little longer . Theodore used simple magic to bury the horse that died . Then he turned towards the nervous guards .
Theo had a convenient means of not having to answer any questions .
“I am from the Polonell Company . ”
The sentence and the plaque were enough to make the Ramos guards step out of the way .
* * *
“We will split up here . ”
“Yes, I’ll see you at the port later . ”
After entering Ramos, the two of them split up according to their roles . Randolph would dispose of the wrecked carriage and remaining horses, while Theodore would see if there were any ships heading toward the Soldun Kingdom .
‘I hope we can leave today . ’
He had entered the city somehow, but that wasn’t enough to stop the Orcus Company from attacking . Theo and Randolph could only shake off the rabble… It would be hard if two senior level undead like the death knight appeared .
The Doom Wight had been taken care of thanks to Theodore 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 Theodore heard weren’t optimistic .
“There are no ships left?”
“Yes, I’m sorry, but they are all booked…”
It was a mistake Theodore 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 Theodore’s side this time .
He was talking to Belf, a member of Luere Shipping .
“During this period of time, most ships are going to the south or north, so there are only three ships heading to the Soldun Kingdom . If you book now, you will probably have to wait a month . ”
“Even for someone from a top company?”
Belf eyes narrowed as he saw the mark that Theodore held .
“Oho, you are from the Polonell Company . ”
However, Belf didn’t hesitate to shake his head . Despite Theodore’s status or money, there were really no places left .
On the sea, the Polonell Company’s name didn’t play a big role . The Polonell Company’s influence was mainly based around the land routes to the north, which meant it didn’t have as much influence in the distant areas on the Central Continent . Ramos was among them, since it mainly operated via the sea .
Theodore 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 . Theodore recognized this fact and looked at the floor with a grim expression .
Although he had the knowledge, brains and experiences of several great people, Theodore was still young . Veronica would’ve overcome this adversity with her strength, while Vince would’ve booked a ship in a port city from the very beginning .
It was at this moment that…
“Umm… Did you say you are called Theodore?”
“Ah, yes . ”
“As I said, it is impossible with a normal ship . However, it might be possible with a special ship . ”
The depressed Theodore scrambled at those words . “Special ship?”
He could pay no matter how much the extra charge was . Thanks to the duel bid, the money he’d spent at the underground auction wasn’t that big . However, instead of explaining the implications, 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 . ”
Theodore wanted to complain, but he wasn’t in a position to be picky . He needed to fend off the pursuers and arrive at the 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, the condition was what Theo had expected .
“Then I need a deposit . ”
“Do you mean I have to pay extra?”
“No, not that . ”
Theodore looked confused, making Belf smile and whisper loudly, “Is there someone in the group other than Theo?”
“Yes, two people including me . ”
“Then 20 gold is required . If you pay 10 gold each, you will know why eventually . ”
Did he mean the rest of the money would be collected after boarding? Theodore tried to ask, but Belf was adamant that he couldn’t explain any more .
‘Che, it can’t be helped . ’
Due to his circumstances, Theo had to take a submissive attitude . In the end, Theodore accepted Belf’s offer . He handed over a few 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 . ”
Theodore 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 is late . ” Belf scratched his head at the question before replying, “The ship makes a little ‘detour,’ so it will take more than a week . Do you have any urgent business?”
“…No, it is okay . ” Theodore though for a moment before putting the two boarding passes away . The most important thing was getting rid of the chasers from the Orcus Company, not arriving at the 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, Theodore was skeptical about the special nature of this ship .
‘Let’s meet Randolph and tell him the news . ’
Theodore left the Luere Company and headed toward where Randolph would be waiting . As the leader of a mercenary group active in the central continent, Randolph might know the secret .